A Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) producer describes Harley Quinn and the titular characters as “more relatable” than Batman or Superman. Producer Sue Kroll revealed why characters like Huntress and Black Canary complement the primary Harley Quinn arc in Birds of Prey.

Written by Christina Hodson and directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. The film will presumably be much different than Suicide Squad, in which Harley Quinn was merely a supporting player and mostly presented as Joker’s mentally unstable girlfriend. For the new DCEU film, which is reportedly not a sequel whatsoever, audiences will receive a better look at Harley Quinn the woman, and how she interacts with the immediate world around her, not to mention to the titular Birds of Prey squad. In contrast to iconic male superheroes like Batman and Superman, Harley Quinn’s powers are more practical and steeped in mental endurance; she’s a survivor with an axe to grind, or rather a mallet to wield. 

Given the character sketches for Birds of Prey’s main characters, Kroll implies audiences shouldn’t necessarily label their decisions as good or bad. In terms of the morally grey territory Birds of Prey explores, Kroll reveals the presentation of Harley Quinn is much more “nuanced” this time around - it’s more “complex.” She also points out that Harley Quinn’s ups and downs inform audiences about the depth of the supporting characters:

Whereas many superheroes like Batman and Superman have experienced tragedies that ultimately motivate their actions as adults, it seems Birds of Prey will fully explore what makes Harley Quinn tick behind the scenes, rather than primarily underlining her effect on powerful males (as depicted in Suicide Squad). For Kroll, it’s Harley Quinn’s vulnerabilities that make her truly relatable, allowing viewers to look beyond the pigtails and surface-level traits in order to identify the character’s hopes and fears, her wants and needs. As evidenced by the Birds of Prey trailer, Harley Quinn doesn’t have one defining costume; she changes from day to day as life presents new challenges. Kroll seems to appreciate the human element that emerges in Birds of Prey.

“What’s also interesting, and you’ll start to see as time goes on, is that you can experience that [morally grey territory] through all these other characters in the film as well. She [Harley Quinn] comes away as somebody who’s much more complicated rather than sort of singular… ‘nuts.’”

Birds of Prey will undoubtedly have some predictable story beats, if only to provide the right amount of popcorn entertainment that so many viewers enjoy. As new details emerge, though, Birds of Prey appears to be a film that will indeed challenge audiences, and perhaps inspire some viewers to think differently about the modern template for strong female characters in mainstream films. To quote Kroll, Birds of Prey just may provide an “access point” for larger concepts beyond the expected themes.

“The world [of ‘Birds of Prey’] is very grounded. The other thing about this movie that I think is really unique is that everyone talks about their movies being really relatable. I think this is genuinely relatable… I could never relate to Superman or Batman, even though I aspired to their ideals. This is a different kind of experience, I think.”

More: The Birds of Prey Castings Were Intentionally Surprising

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