First Harley Quinn Trailer Pokes Fun At Cancelled Deadpool Cartoon

The new trailer for the upcoming Harley Quinn animated series attains Deadpool levels of self-awareness, which is fitting, since this short clip also takes a shot at the Merc with a Mouth’s own cartoon for its failure to get off the ground.

The Clown Princess of Crime’s show will be available as part of the upcoming DC Universe streaming service, and if you associate this superhero brand with dark and moody offerings, so do Harley Quinn and her friend Poison Ivy – voiced by Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell, respectively – but it’s clear that they’ll be taking things in a new direction with this adult-oriented outing. In fact, Harley even vows to bash in the heads of anyone on her show who’s not having fun.

Though many viewers will likely associate Harley primarily with her romantic involvement with the Joker, the synopsis for the show suggests that she’ll be breaking away from this psychotic relationship and establishing herself as her own woman:

Harley Quinn follows Harley’s adventures after she breaks up with the Joker and strikes out on her own in this new, adult animated comedy. With the help of Poison Ivy and a ragtag crew of DC castoffs, Harley tries to earn a seat at the biggest table in villainy: the Legion of the Doom.

While the Joker may not be around to cramp her style, Batman still pops up in the trailer to act as a real “buzzkill” while Harley and Ivy do time in Arkham Asylum. The latter, meanwhile, offers an amusingly pessimistic view on their upcoming venture, referencing the ongoing threat of fan backlash when she insists that everyone is going to hate their show. Well, that’s one way to pitch your product.

Overall, the trailer amounts to an entertaining and energetic little sketch that suggests Harley Quinn could well make for a fun ride when it finally stages its debut next year.