Harley Quinn‘s arc in Suicide Squad has never sat right with fans, as she gets back with the Joker and it’s presented as a happy ending. Birds of Prey finally put that right earlier this year by having Harl break up with the Clown Prince off-screen and go it alone. As director David Ayer has long made clear, though, he didn’t even like the SS ending and that’s not how things went down in his original cut of the movie.
In fact, he’s now revealed that he believes the “natural progression” for Harley’s arc is not to have her end up with the Joker but with Poison Ivy instead. In response to fans debating whether Joker or Ivy was the better partner for her, Ayer waded in with his own take. “This is why she had to get away [from Joker] to become her authentic self,” the filmmaker wrote on Twitter. “Her relationship with Ivy is the natural progression for her.”
This. That is why she had to get away to become her authentic self. Her relationship with Ivy is the natural progression for her. 🙌🏻 https://t.co/q4FnTLPzRJ
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) June 14, 2020
Ayer’s feelings on this aren’t surprising when you consider that he was set to follow up Suicide Squad with a Gotham City Sirens film that would’ve paired Margot Robbie’s Harley up with Ivy and Catwoman. Presumably, there would have been some romance blossoming between the two in that. The project seems to be on indefinite hold, though, but maybe some version of it could materialize as a sequel to Birds of Prey.
BOP‘s Cathy Yan has said she would like to introduce Ivy in a follow-up. Meanwhile, reports have stated Matt Reeves may use Dr. Isley for his Batman movies. If that prevents a different Ivy from showing up in Harley’s DCEU films that’d be a shame, though, as we really need to see their relationship brought to the big screen. Still, at least we have DC Universe’s Harley Quinn airing Harley/Ivy goodness weekly. And while Ivy won’t be in it, we could see a more independent Harley Quinn if the Suicide Squad Ayer Cut is ever released.
