The DC Extended Universe could be going the 'Deadpool' route with their next film

It’s probably safe to say that DC haven’t exactly had the same kind of success as Marvel has when it comes to their movies. All those pesky Avengers hogging all the tickets while Batman and co. are left by the wayside. Regardless, a few of DC’s current character iterations have managed to slip through and are resonating well with those all-important money-having audiences.

First up is Wonder Woman, absolute murderer of box offices, then maybe Aquaman, who made a *ahem* splash in Justice League, and finally, that crazy old Harley Quinn - many people’s favourite part of Suicide Squad. With an ensemble piece like that, it must have been hard to stand out, but Margot Robbie managed it with a performance entirely devoid of hinges.

So obviously - this is how things work, when will you get it through your thick skull - there are plans for a spin-off - Harley Quinn, free from the shackles of Will Smith and co. bringing her down. Currently on the slate are a bunch of films to feature the character, including David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens, an untitled Joker/Harley movie and the one set to land first, Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey.

Robbie (Margot, not a bloke called Robbie who’s suddenly been introduced out of the blue) spoke to Colliderabout the plans:

Read more: A comprehensive guide to all 18 DC Extended Universe films in development and how likely they are to happen

“I pitched the idea of an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, ‘Harley needs friends.’ Harley loves interacting with people, so don’t ever make her do a standalone film.

“She’s got to be with other people, it should be a girl gang. I wasn’t seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space. So that was always a big part of it.”

So it looks like they’re going the Deadpool or Logan route with this one - simply acknowledging that adults can enjoy comic book movies made specifically for them, as both those films’ box office hauls proved. If this plan goes ahead (which it should, clearly), then it’ll be the first R-rated movie in the DCEU, not counting that special extended cut of Batman Vs Superman, which was only released as an afterthought (but for the same reasons).

None of the films have a concrete release date yet, but DC need to up their game to compete with Marvel, and although the MCU hasn’t yet gone the R-rated route, it might be the prod that they need to level the playing field. Also, who doesn’t want to see Harley Quinn whack a bloke’s eyes out with a big baseball bat? No actual body, that’s who.

(Image: DC Comics)