New Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) footage saw the former sidekick’s abilities get an almost superhuman boost - thanks to cocaine. Harley Quinn originated on Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Arleen Sorkin. Harley proved so popular, however, that she made the jump to the comics in 1993. She has since been adapted multiple times - most noticeably by Margot Robbie in 2016’s Suicide Squad and, recently, by Kaley Cuoco in DC Universe’s animated comedy series, Harley Quinn. Although Suicide Squad was met with an underwhelming reception, Robbie was widely praised for her performance. As such, a self-produced, more female-centric follow-up was greenlit. The second Birds of Prey trailer further emphasized that Harley will attempt to forge her own identity after parting ways with The Joker.

Directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli (aka Huntress), Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance (aka Black Canary), and Rosie Perez as Gotham City detective Renee Montoya. They will be forced to team up with Harley Quinn to stave off violent repercussions at the hands of Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask) - a notorious and sadistic crime boss played by Ewan McGregor. The unlikely quartet’s mission will also see them protect Ella Jay Basco’s young pickpocket, Cassandra Cain, after she steals a diamond from Sionis’ pet serial killer, Victor Zsasz.

The fresh glimpse also teased a moment where Harley Quinn’s already considerable skills get taken to a new level, courtesy of some illicit substances. One scene finds Harley cornered in what looks to be a police storage facility. As armed thugs open fire, Harley takes cover behind a large mound of cocaine accumulated as evidence. With Harley pinned down, the gunfire ultimately releases a cloud of drugs into the air. Seizing her opportunity, Harley inhales the substance. Her eyes open with newfound resolve and clarity. What follows is Harley unleashing a perfect counterattack. Tossing a brick of cocaine into the air, Harley uses her trademark baseball bat to fire it like a grenade at the goons. She swiftly follows up with a powerful dropkick the likes of which even Batman would be impressed by.

Harley Quinn has always had some incredible attributes. Despite her overtly quirky nature, Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel was an accomplished psychiatrist. As such, Harley’s intellect is well above average. Those impressive mental faculties are equally juxtaposed with extensive physical prowess. As well as being an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant, Harley often demonstrates exceptional agility and is an expert gymnast. Despite that, Harley has never been described as anything close to officially superhuman. The addition of cocaine, however, definitely appeared to change that - sharpening her already significant aim and adding power to her attacks way more than usual.

Of course, it could be that it was no mere cocaine that Harley took into her system. The DC Universe, after all, is rife with unique performance-enhancing drugs. Just look at Bane and his signature Venom compound for proof of that. It was even an element of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, that seemingly ordinary cocaine was mixed with something else entirely. Therefore, it could almost double as a neat little nod alongside giving Harley what she needs in the moment. Even if not, however, it still serves as a fun twist on the traditional super-soldier serum conceit of many comic book stories.

How the rest of the scene unfolds remains unknown. Still, there’s no doubt that Harley will emerge from the scrape intact before moving immediately onto the next one. Equally, it’s unclear whether this boost will be something Harley uses regularly or if it’s simply a one-off testament to her unorthodox nature. Whatever the case, it has already solidified Birds of Prey’s status as an R-rated movie. Equally, it further establishes the new track that the DCEU has found itself on in the wake of previous failures - indicating that Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will set itself distinctly apart from a lot of that which came before.

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