DC’s Birds of Prey will show a more “personal” side of Harley Quinn, according to actress Margot Robbie. In Birds of Prey, Robbie reprises her role from Suicide Squad, in which Harley Quinn is romantically linked to the Joker and influences others with her unique personality and style. David Ayer’s film also explores Harley Quinn’s frame of mind, as she’s presented as a mentally-unstable character who’s fiercely loyal to the Joker, certainly after he breaks her out from prison.

However, Birds of Prey reportedly has no connection to Suicide Squad whatsoever, or even the Joker for that matter, at least according to the producers. Instead, Birds of Prey will spotlight the life and times of Suicide Squad’s breakout character, with the dazzling first trailer teasing what’s in store for Harley Quinn fans; a standalone story about the character’s “fantabulous emancipation.”

During Screen Rant’s visit to the Birds of Prey set, Robbie explained why Birds of Prey will be so revelatory about Harley Quinn, the woman. According to the actress, it’s the character detail that truly brings Harley Quinn to life, most notably what she does at home, and how she lives from day-to-day. Suicide Squad presented a specific image for Harley Quinn, however Birds of Prey will presumably take fans behind the curtain for more character depth. Per Robbie:

Robbie also discussed the journey of being Harley Quinn, and that she always wanted to portray the character “from the very beginning.” The comics informed Robbie about the surface level Harley Quinn persona, and the experience of bringing the character to life in Suicide Squad made her “fall in love." But it’s the latest go-round, Birds of Prey, that provided for significantly more opportunities for a more nuanced performance.

“What’s different about this film is that you see Harley in her element, you get to see Harley’s apartment. What does her house look like? What does she wear when she gets to pick her outfit? In ‘Suicide Squad,’ there was a box there to choose from and she wore her mission outfit, but what is she wearing when she goes to get drunk at night? How does she deal with a hangover? You got to kind of see these other sides of Harley, a more personal side.” 

In 2019, Robbie has been the center of heated debates about female performers’ screen time in male-dominated films. After Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered at Cannes, various critics quickly noted Robbie’s lack of dialogue, and the limited amount of scenes as Sharon Tate. More recently, Martin Scorsese has been criticized for Anna Paquin’s silent performance in The Irishman. But for multifaceted actresses like Robbie, screen time isn’t necessarily about what’s being said, but rather about what’s being conveyed with the performance as a whole. For Birds of Prey, she’ll be able to interpret Harley Quinn’s core personality traits from the comic, and also use her own experiences to really show what motivates her character from day to day, and how she deals with regular problems like everybody else.

“There were such obviously limited segments on-screen to really showcase different elements of Harley’s personality in the first ‘Suicide Squad.’ So, it’s been really amazing in this movie because I have more screen time.”

More: Birds of Prey Will Change Harley Quinn’s Character in The DCEU

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