‘The Suicide Squad’: Harley Quinn’s Speech Was Written Before the Rest of the Screenplay
For fans of the DC Universe and its characters, Harley Quinn is one of the all-time icons. The character of Harley, a henchwoman for the Joker and a terrifying assassin in her own right, has been portrayed many times in animated films and TV shows.
However, it is Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn that has managed to capture the affection of fans all around the world. Robbie first played Harley in the 2016 film Suicide Squad, and has since reprised the role two more times. Recently, James Gunn, the architect of the most recent Harley Quinn vehicle, The Suicide Squad, took to Twitter to talk about one of the film’s most important scenes, revealing that it was the very first thing he wrote for the movie.
Margot Robbie is well-known for her portrayal of Harley Quinn
Robbie is an Australian-born actress and producer who began her career by acting in various Australian soap operas. After a few years in smaller-profile movies and TV shows, Robbie had her big Hollywood breakthrough, acting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the hit drama The Wolf of Wall Street. Following her breakthrough, Robbie acted in several other big movies — but it wasn’t until 2016 that she landed the role that would ultimately define the early part of her career, that of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.
Fans loved Robbie’s portrayal of Harley, and critics praised her for her no-holds-barred performance. Robbie reprised the role of Harley in the 2020 movie Birds of Prey, and then again in James Gunn’s revamped The Suicide Squad in 2021. Both of those films allowed Robbie to dive deep into the psyche of Harley Quinn, and in The Suicide Squad, fans are able to get a much better look at the personality and life philosophy of the assassin/former therapist.
What did James Gunn say about writing Harley Quinn’s big scene with Luna?
Gunn wrote and directed The Suicide Squad and notably, the big-name Hollywood heavyweight was able to incorporate a lot of touching Harley moments. In August, Gunn took to Twitter to talk about how he wrote one of Harley’s biggest scenes well before he even tackled the rest of the movie. According to Gunn, “Harley’s speech to bleeding Luna is one of the first things I wrote before I even started the screenplay. It’s her version of personal growth.”
Fans praised Gunn and his writing in their replies to his tweet, with one noting “thank you for this really I love that whole speech it’s so Harley and shows her growth.” Another wrote “That’s what I love about this movie. It zigs when you expect it to zag. I hope you get to do more with Harley, @JamesGunn. You’ve got a flair for her character!”
Will Margot Robbie play Harley Quinn again?
Although fans would undoubtedly love to see Robbie play Harley Quinn again, the actress admitted in a recent interview that she’s likely going to be taking a break from the character for some time. As reported by Looper, Robbie stated that “It was kind of back-to-back filming ‘Birds’ … and filming this, so I was kind of like, oof, I need a break from Harley because she’s exhausting. I don’t know when we’re next going to see her. I’m just as intrigued as everyone else is.”
Notably, Robbie didn’t say that she’s averse to playing Harley again, just that she’s ready to take a small break and maybe focus on some other projects for a time. It seems likely that the actress will eventually return to the iconic role that made her a star — but it could be a few years.
