James Gunn Declares 'The Suicide Squad' Canon in New DC Universe

James Gunn has ruled that his 2021 film "The Suicide Squad" is canon in the rebooted DC Universe — with a single asterisk: the future of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn.

Gunn made the declaration on "The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast," joined by actors Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee, who appeared in the film. The trio worked through the movie's dead characters and the actors who have played multiple DC roles, including Sean Gunn, Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker, before settling the question.

"That settles it then. I think that 'The Suicide Squad' is within the canon of the DCU. It's decided," Gunn said. "I'd say, we have one small asterisk, which is what exactly is the future of Harley Quinn? I want to be given a little leeway with this by the fans because I'm not sure exactly how that's going to manifest itself. But other than that, I think that we can pretty much say the entire movie is canon. I don't think there's a problem."

What happens to Harley Quinn?

The uncertainty centers on Robbie, who played the character three times across the old DC Extended Universe. She debuted as the first live-action Harley Quinn in David Ayer's "Suicide Squad" in 2016, returned for Cathy Yan's "Birds of Prey" in 2020 and joined Gunn's standalone sequel in 2021.

Gunn said on the podcast that Robbie has become "kind of the biggest female star in the world" and that he does not know whether she wants to return.

"She's just so crazy. I love her as Harley. I don't know if she wants to play Harley again. She may be over that," Gunn said.

Why Robbie's calendar matters

Robbie's career has moved well beyond the franchise since 2021. She led Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," one of the biggest box-office hits of her career, and starred in Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights." She is next set to headline Tim Burton's "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman."

That slate, Gunn suggested, may leave little room for a return to the character — at least for now. The takeaway is simple: the film's canon status is settled, but the franchise's most prominent anti-hero is the one piece Gunn will not commit to, and the character's fate now depends on Robbie's willingness and availability rather than on studio planning.