Margot Robbie Fighting For A Fan-Favorite Character To Join The DC Universe
Margot Robbie really wants a specific character in the DC film universe.
This article is more than 2 years old
Margot Robbie’s celebrated turn as Harley Quinn has brought our attention to the many loves of the Mistress of Mayhem’s life: the Joker, her glitzy wardrobe, her Good Night baseball bat, Bud and Lou’s CGI hyena counterparts, her trusty mallet, the Suicide Squad, and her all-time favorite bazooka. The only thing missing three movies later is Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy, the love of Harley’s life.
Margot Robbie is an ardent supporter of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn getting together, and she has been using her newfound fame and influence for good, constantly urging Warner Bros. execs to finally adapt this part of Harley Quinn’s life on the big screen. As of this writing, there’s no word on whether Poison Ivy is even being considered for a future DC Extended Universe film, but Robbie is determined not to give up. Den of Geek spoke with the Australian beauty recently, and she had plenty to say about the matter.
“Trust me, I chew their ear off about it all the time,” Margot Robbie admits. “They must be sick of hearing it, but I’m like, ‘Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy. Come on, let’s do it.’ I’m very keen to see a Harley-Poison Ivy relationship on screen. It’d be so fun. So I’ll keep pestering them. Don’t worry.”
Margot Robbie’s brother Cameron is gay, making the multi-awarded 30-year-old a staunch ally of the LGBTQ movement. Her newly christened production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, is LGBTQ-friendly, particularly in the case of women. Margot Robbie readily volunteered her excitement about bringing Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn’s relationship to the DC Extended Universe when asked by PrideSource’s Chris Azzopardi, saying, “If you read the comics you know that Poison Ivy and Harley have an intimate relationship. In some comics they convey it as a friendship; in other comics you can see that they’re actually sexually involved as a couple. I’ve been trying to – I would love to have Poison Ivy thrown into the universe, because the Harley and Poison Ivy relationship is one of my favorite aspects of the comics, so I’m looking to explore that on screen.” So, is Robbie keen on casting a specific actress for the role of Ivy? Not really. Margot Robbie herself was a relative newcomer to blockbuster cinema when she was chosen to fill Harley Quinn’s red-and-black shoes, and seems to prefer a fresh face. She relates: “I’ve thought about it a lot and there’s no one person who springs to mind. I’m pretty open-minded.”
Harley Quinn first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker’s hopelessly maltreated assistant; her working relationship with Poison Ivy was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Pamela encouraged Harley to ditch the Joker, overcome her codependency to the Clown Prince of Crime, and reclaim her voice, but if a pretty face and a genuine friendship were all it took to empower someone like Harley, anyone would be able to do it. Many comic book issues later, Harley finally manages to free herself from the Joker’s decades of abuse and relentless brainwashing and immediately gravitated to the only stable force in her life: Poison Ivy. That mutual respect would eventually lead to romance. Their relationship was a central plot point in HBO Max’s adult cartoon Harley Quinn, as the Maiden of Mischief struggles to navigate life without the Joker.
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is the poster child for the more sinister characters of the DC Extended Universe and ranks as one of the most popular to date. Harley shares this distinction with the founding members of the Justice League and has become the franchise’s most recognizable face. That is if cosplays and fanart of the last five years are any indications. She’s often touted as the resident Deadpool of the DC Extended Universe and shares Wade Wilson’s love for fourth-wall breaking, gratuitous violence, the colors red and black, a smacking sense of humor, and of course, same-sex relationships. The character first appeared in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad as part of Amanda Waller’s team of criminal misfits and reprises the role five years later in James Gunn’s rated-R reboot-sequel The Suicide Squad.
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn also featured as the main protagonist of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) in a separate group of mostly heroic female dissidents. The film came out last year to mostly positive reviews and finds Harley Quinn in good company following her tearful breakup with the Joker (Jared Leto) in 2016’s Suicide Squad — with the titular Birds of Prey filling in for Poison Ivy, who wasn’t present in the movie. Pamela Isley may finally debut on the silver screen in the heavily hinted Gotham City Sirens, but updates have been scarce lately. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn next appears in The Suicide Squad alongside Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, and Peter Capaldi, with James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) writing and directing. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6.
