In March 2023, pop sensation and actor Lady Gaga’s look as Harley Quinn from Joker 2: Folie a Deux was published online. This new update regarding the sequel to Todd Philips’ Joker has gotten fans of the DC Universe excited. But fans also seem to be missing the previous iteration of the character: the one played by Margot Robbie.

The Australian actor was a fan favorite and reprised her role thrice, gaining unanimous appreciation. But then, why is Margot Robbie not returning for the Joker sequel?

Margot Robbie: The Perfect Harley Quinn

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey

Margot Robbie recently starred in Barbie, which was based on Mattel’s best-selling legacy toy. The Greta Gerwig directorial received rave reviews for its excellent performances and exploration of feminism. It was a phenomenal success with a $775 Million global box office only on the second weekend. However, Barbie is not the first time the Australian actor has been victorious in portraying a legendary character.

In 2016, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad received immense criticism due to the lack of Joker in the film and the messy screenplay. However, reviews also unanimously appreciated Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the Joker’s love interest, Harley Quinn. She perfectly brought the manic energy of Harley Quinn to the big screen.

This led to her return as Quinn in Birds of Prey and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. The films garnered better reviews and Margot Robbie again received praise for her brilliant portrayal. While more films were in the pipeline such as Gotham City Sirens and Harley Quinn vs The Joker, the mismanagement of the DC Extended Universe led to their cancellation.

Lack of Vision: DC’s Extended Universe Problems

Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot in Justice League.

Like other studios, WB too jumped on the connected universe bandwagon to catch up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Decisions such as scrapping the Zack Snyder-created storyline and haphazard announcements of projects finally led to the end of the DC Extended Universe.

James Gunn was later brought on along with Peter Safran to head DC Studios and create a master plan to bring in a new range of superhero films and TV shows. The DCU, termed by Gunn, would officially put a rest to the DCEU. Solo projects like Joker and The Batman were positioned as ‘Elseworlds’ stories that were not connected to the main universe of DC films and were distinct from the DCU.

Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn

Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga as Joker and Harley Quinn.

After much speculation, director Todd Philips announced that a sequel to the Joker was in development with Joaquin Phoenix set to return. The sequel would be titled Joker 2: Folie a Deux and will be featuring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. He also revealed that the film would be a musical. While Lady Gaga seemed to be the perfect fit, the question remained: why wasn’t Margot Robbie returning?

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Margot Robbie revealed that she hoped to give the character a rest. “It was kind of back-to-back filming Birds…, and filming this (The Suicide Squad),” she said, “So, I was kind of like, oof, I need a break from Harley because she is exhausting.” She also mentioned that she was not sure when the fans would see her reprise her role. “I am just as intrigued as everybody else,” she revealed.

While Lady Gaga might give a tremendous performance, the fans would surely love to see Robbie don the Quinn costume yet again and be reunited with her ‘Puddin’.

Joker Folie a Deux is set to release on October 4, 2024.