Birds of Prey’s first trailer looks nothing like the DC movies that audiences have become accustomed to, and that’s a very promising sign. DC Films has firmly established itself as the darker of the mainstream superhero pack over the past decades or so, defined by the visual stylings of Zack Snyder in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman (which bled over into David Ayer’s Suicide Squad and Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman) and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy before that.

After the complicated changes to Justice League, however, DC has seemed to take a different approach, with James Wan’s Aquaman and David F. Sandberg’s Shazam brighter offerings where bombastic CGI camerawork and 1980s-nostalgia respectively dominate. There has been a concern here, especially amongst the Snyder faithful, that change would lead to homogeneity. After all, what was Justice League reshot into under Joss Whedon if not Warner Bros’ attempt at a Marvel film? And while Arthur Curry and Billy Batson’s outings were distinct, that same question was raised by various pundits about the most recent releases.

However, Birds of Prey’s trailer is here to stamp that out with the force of a clown-wielded mallet. With its roads lit purple, bars bathed by red and gold, and Harley’s rotating self-branded wardrobe that must have at least one neon shade per outfit, Gotham can be earnestly described as Day-Glo for the first time since Joel Schumacher. And yet instead of puns and toys, it’s populated with deranged comedy and ultra-violence (often in the same breath). By this showing, Birds of Prey is a mesh of styles, at once comic-booky yet also clearly the work of someone given a degree of freedom (in this case, Cathy Yan). There’s a vision here and, even if it’s garish in places, it feels certainly purposeful. Nobody could mistake this for the works of Snyder or anybody under Feige.

Variance isn’t just about standing out in a crowded market place. As the modern age of superhero cinema enters its third decade, the need to ensure that things keep fresh and evolve becomes ever more important. Studio repetitiveness can lead to audience malaise very quickly, which is why Marvel has been going further and further into aping other, non-spandexed genres within its house style. But it’s also why DC has held fast to trumpeting director freedom even after Justice League and seems to be gaining ground again in audience appreciation as it actually delivers on that. Whatever Birds of Prey is, it most certainly isn’t something that’s been provided yet by any other franchise, DC or otherwise.

Indeed, it’s striking that Birds of Prey’s vibrant, deliriously off-kilter teaser will play ahead of theaters ahead of Joker. A dark, grounded take on Mr. J (played by Joaquin Phoenix) distinct to anything that’s come before, Todd Phillips’ award-winning Elseworlds movie is as removed from what audiences expect in the opposite direction. Having them release so close together inhabiting tangential areas of the comics universe only highlights their differences.

Of course, especially considering Harley Quinn is in a starring role, there is still the question of what sort of movie this will translate to. Suicide Squad’s Comic-Con trailer (released online only after leaks) was a gloomy affair, but its main marketing push the garishness to the point the film was reworked to fit expectations; in the end, the theatrical release was unlike either version, cobbled together in the edit. While nobody is really suggesting that Birds of Prey will face a similarly incongruous fate, there is the question of how much of the trailer’s energy will be subsided in a two-hour feature.

Nevertheless, distinction is looking to be the buzzword for DC going forward. Next year’s Wonder Woman 1984 will mash Jenkins’ original movie with the decade that fashion forgot, while both Matt Reeves’ The Batman and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad are clearly bringing different ideas to proven properties based on the directors’ priors and casting alone. In this new age of DC, with fresh management throughout Warner Bros., Birds of Prey is a statement of intent.

Next: All 30 Upcoming & In-Development DC Films

  • Joker Release Date: 2019-10-04 Birds of Prey Release Date: 2020-02-07 Wonder Woman 2 Release Date: 2020-12-25 The Batman Release Date: 2022-03-04 Suicide Squad 2 Release Date: 2021-08-06 Aquaman 2 Release Date: 2023-12-25 Super Pets Release Date: 2022-07-29