James Gunn Admits Harley Quinn Is the One Catch in ‘The Suicide Squad’ DCU Canon

Few corners of the DC universe have been as tangled as the line between the old DCEU and Gunn’s new DCU. Since Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, fans have been sorting out which characters, actors and stories survived the reset and which got left behind.

Fans have long wondered whether ‘The Suicide Squad’ is canon to the DC Universe, and a few canon DC stories have already referenced the film’s giant starfish, hinting at a connection. That mix of winks and silence has kept the debate going. It has been messy enough that even the people running the studio have had to field the same questions again and again.

Now Gunn has weighed in directly. The DC Studios co-head did a podcast titled ‘The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon?’, where he and his wife and co-host Jennifer Holland answered fan questions. The episode, as Variety reported, delivered a verdict on the film’s canon status, plus a pointed comment about one of its biggest stars.

On the film itself, Gunn was blunt that it counts. He said ‘The Suicide Squad’ is within the canon of the DCU and that the matter is “decided.” He added that the entire movie can pretty much be considered canon, with “one small asterisk.”

That asterisk is Harley Quinn. Gunn asked what exactly the future of the character is, and he asked fans for a little leeway because he isn’t sure how it will play out. Later, he said Margot Robbie’s version is a character he loves, but he doesn’t know whether she wants to play Harley again and added that she “may be over” it.

He was careful not to shut the door. Gunn said that if Robbie wants to play her, he will “bend over backwards” to explain that in the world, but if she doesn’t, he might go with somebody else. He also said Harley is a character he is almost certainly going to use in the DCU.

The timing is notable because the canon label is a bigger deal than it sounds. ‘The Suicide Squad’ takes place in the old DCEU, and Gunn has previously said Blue Beetle was the first DCU character and ‘Superman’ the first DCU film. Calling it the first canon film in the DCU muddies that timeline a bit, which is why the comment drew a lot of confused reactions.

There is plenty of connective tissue to justify the call, though. The film introduced Peacemaker and included the death of Rick Flag Jr., which sets up Rick Flag Sr.’s storyline in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 and beyond. It was both a continuation of David Ayer’s 2016 ‘Suicide Squad’ and a soft reboot, tied to the new DCU through characters like Peacemaker and Weasel.

Gunn has been cagey about Robbie before. When Entertainment Weekly asked whether she would reprise the role, he said only that the answer would be revealed down the line, while saying he definitely wants Idris Elba’s Bloodsport back. Back in 2023, he replied “For sure” on Twitter when a fan asked if he would work with Robbie again, though that didn’t guarantee a return as Harley.

Robbie’s own track record with the character is complicated. She has played Harley Quinn in three DC projects, and all three either struggled to turn a profit at the box office or failed to win over the core fanbase. She has also gone on to become an even bigger star than almost anyone else in those films. That raises the question of whether a return would be worth it for her.

For now, the DCU keeps moving. The slate continues with Gunn’s ‘Man of Tomorrow’ on July 9, 2027. Whether Harley turns up there or later, and with which actor, is still an open question.

What Gunn’s comments make clear is that the character’s future depends on Robbie’s decision. If she’s in, the DCU will find a way to make it work. If not, the franchise appears ready to cast someone new and move on.