Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) has hit the big screen for the second time with Birds of Prey, and it’s definitely not going to be her last DCEU appearance, as this glitter-filled thrill ride sets up multiple sequels for the kooky character and the rest of her girl gang. Despite her starring role and her name in the title (Birds of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), it still doesn’t feel like a solo Harley movie, but it does set one up.

Birds of Prey takes Suicide Squad’s Harley (post-neck-bomb adventures) and gives her a new story, but it’s not specifically about the Squad, making it more of a spin-off than a sequel. It also exists specifically to set up the Birds of Prey team, and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) will presumably be returning to the big screen for a second film of their own.

However, Birds of Prey also sets up a true Harley Quinn solo movie - not only with the ending of the story itself, but because Harley remains a serious fan-favorite and one with the potential for plenty more solo outings. So what can fans expect from Harley’s next film?

Harley & Cassie: A Different Kind Of Batgirl Origin

Birds of Prey ends with Harley stealing Black Canary’s car and driving off with Cassie (Ella Jay Basco), leaving Renee, Black Canary, and Huntress to form the Birds of Prey. Thanks to her share of the Bertinelli diamond, she and Cassie have plenty of cash to live on, and with Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) gone, the immediate threat to her life is also dealt with - leaving Harley and Cassie to set up a new partnership and have some fun.

This is a fantastic move for Harley from a character perspective because Cassie brings out Harley’s softer side and gives her a partner who isn’t a toxic romance. The end of Birds of Prey is also a solid launching pad for Harley’s next step from a storytelling perspective; her move away from the Joker is dealt with and has been given the time and attention it needs. Now Harley is on her own, knows what she wants to do (sort of), and has someone to do it with. The path is cleared, and Harley can just be Harley.

Of course, there’s something else being set up for a Harley Quinn sequel in this ending: a new origin for Batgirl. In the comics, Cassandra Cain becomes part of the bat-family after saving Commissioner Gordon’s life, and her early days are spent training with her assassin parents. Clearly, there have been some liberties taken with the origin: the Cassie of Birds of Prey is a street pickpocket living with foster parents, who ends up as Harley’s apprentice. A Quinn sequel will undoubtedly see this relationship grow and Cassie train under her new mentor, but this may also lead to her breaking with Harley and joining the Bat-family, which would be a fascinating story especially considering Harley’s issues with trust and abandonment.

Harley & Ivy, Sitting In A Tree

As well as setting up Batgirl, there’s room for a sequel to set up something else that fans cannot wait to see: the introduction of Poison Ivy and the start of her relationship with Harley. In the comics, Harley and Ivy have been involved for quite a while, although they have something of a long-distance relationship. It’s a fan-favorite relationship, and would be a phenomenal way to introduce Ivy herself and a little more queer representation into the DCEU. Birds of Prey itself introduces Renee’s ex, Ellen Yee (Ali Wong), and while this was fantastic to see, it would be even better to see a relationship between two women take center stage for Harley’s next chapter.

Margot Robbie and Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan have both said that they would love to see Ivy in Harley’s future on the big screen, and now that Harley has put Joker fully behind her, it’s the perfect time to introduce Ivy as a new love interest in the next Harley movie.

Birds Of Prey 2 Won’t Be A Harley Flick

If a Harley Quinn sequel is all about Poison Ivy and Batgirl-in-training, though, what about the actual Birds of Prey? While the critical reviews are excellent, the opening weekend box office hasn’t been quite what DC would have hoped for, and a Birds of Prey 2 is yet to be officially confirmed. That said, it’s still likely that a sequel will be added to the DCEU slate, although probably not released until 2024 given the number of DC projects currently underway. Even assuming that a sequel is greenlit, though, it won’t be a Harley Quinn movie.

Birds of Prey does a fantastic job of setting up the team, but also ends with Harley’s break from them. This is a clear indication that while Harley may well end up with the odd appearance in future films about the team, she’s not going to be a major part of the Birds’ adventures. In the comics, Harley is not a member of the team.

Other Harley Quinn Movies In The Works

Of course, Birds of Prey also sets up another sequel: James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Described as neither a sequel nor a reboot of the original Suicide Squad, the film is set for a 2021 release and will see Margot Robbie return as Harley, alongside a handful of other cast members from the first film. Birds of Prey doesn’t directly set this up, although Harley does reference her time with the squad in a couple of small moments in the film (when talking to Cassie about what she has been through to make her “her” and when pulling out her t-shirt from the film and keeping it for “sentimental reasons”). Presumably, at some point, Harley will cross paths with Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) again, although it’s not clear exactly how this will play out.

However, appearances in both Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey 2 aren’t Harley solo movies, and it seems that fans are long overdue for a film fully devoted to Harley, not setting up other spin-offs. With a protege, a hyena, and a perfect breakfast sandwich at the end of Birds of Prey, it seems that it may finally be time to see Harley get the kind of solo outing that she does in the comics, and hopefully, fans won’t have to wait too long for it.

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