Harley Quinn Is Back In 2026 With The Perfect Role For James Gunn's DC Universe

Published Jul 31, 2026, 9:43 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Harley Quinn appears in Batman's new release, and her dynamic with the Dark Knight is exactly what needs to be repeated for the new DC Universe. Margot Robbie has become the face of Harley Quinn for many. The actress' take on the character ended up becoming one of, if not the most popular players in the old DCEU movie timeline. Robbie took Harley on quite the arc. By the end of the DCEU, she had left the Joker behind and found a healthier lifestyle among the Birds of Prey. Robbie's Harley Quinn is one of the DCEU characters that the fans have requested the most to be made canon to the DCU, and according to Gunn, he would love to work with the actress in the future. For now, the DCU Chapter One has no plans to introduce Harley Quinn. In animation, Harley has also had quite the track record across animated Batman series and even her own solo show. That would be HBO Max's Harley Quinn, which stars Kaley Cuoco and has run for five seasons. The character was created for the fan-favorite Batman: The Animated Series. Now, Harley Quinn has returned to DC's slate of releases through that medium. She is one of the many DC characters who show up in Batman: Caped Crusader season 2, which released its episodes at the same time this Friday, July 31. Harley Quinn's new role in the standalone DC series is what her perfect storyline in Gunn's DCU could look like. Harley Quinn Is One Of The DC Characters In Batman's Returning Series Warning! This article contains spoilers for Batman: Caped Crusader season 2.Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 had world-building as one of its main focused areas. To that end, not only did the animated series take its time to establish a gritty 1940s Gotham City, but it populated the location with plenty of exciting new takes on classic Batman supporting characters and villains. Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 makes the most of an already established world to hit the ground running from its very first episode, and the returning DC series has a lot of fun by introducing new characters, like the Riddler, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy/Thorn, and bringing back season 1 players. Voiced by Jamie Chung, Harley Quinn is part of the second group. In season 1, she clashed with Batman, being a dark vigilante who targeted corrupt men from Gotham's elite, broke them down mentally using her skills as a psychiatrist, and got them to turn over their fortunes for better causes. In Batman: Caped Crusader season 2, Harley Quinn plays a much tamer role, with no kidnapping involved. Instead, she teams up with Batman to investigate Scarecrow. It gets to the point that Batman takes her to the Batcave for assistance, and Harley turns herself in at the end. How Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2's Harley Quinn Role Is What James Gunn's DCU Needs Whether it is through Robbie returning as Harley Quinn or a new star being cast to play the anti-hero in Gunn's DCU, the best possible role for the character is working alongside Batman, as Harley should be in the DCU's Bat-Family. There are a number of comics depicting just that, and HBO Max's animated Harley Quinn series has also played with that concept. Additionally, if Robbie returns as Harley, her star power and the popularity of that particular iteration of the character would easily sell to audiences why Harley Quinn should belong in the Bat-Family. Harley works better when bouncing off other DC heroes, not as a villain or a lackey for the Joker. In Batman: Caped Crusader season 2, fans get a taste of that. This role could be even better in the DCU by having the classic talkative and vibrant version of Harley opposite a stoic Batman, an outgoing Nightwing, a sarcastic Red Hood, and so on. Hopefully, it will not take too long to get the DCU's Batman and an update on where things stand with Harley Quinn. Release Date August 1, 2024 Network Prime Video Showrunner Bruce Timm Cast Hamish Linklater Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice) Krystal Joy Brown Barbara Gordon (voice) Directors Christina Sotta, Christopher Berkeley, Matt Peters Writers Greg Rucka, Bruce Timm, Ed Brubaker, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Halley Wegryn Gross, Jase Ricci, Marc Bernardin Franchise(s) Batman Creator(s) Bruce Timm, Bob Kane