James Gunn Sets the Record Straight on the Joker’s Existence in the DCU

The Joker is one of Batman’s most iconic enemies, but does the Clown Prince of Crime even exist in James Gunn’s new DC Universe? It turns out the answer isn’t as obvious as you might think.

During HBO Max’s The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? podcast, the DC Studios co-head addressed the Joker’s place in the DCU, along with how the villain’s history with Harley Quinn fits into the new continuity.

“We definitely haven’t established the Joker yet in the DCU at all,” Gunn explained. “We’ve established Batman, we’ve already seen that he exists, we’ve seen him in Creature Commandos for a glimpse, but we don’t know if Joker exists yet,” Gunn added.

While Batman made a brief appearance in the animated series Creature Commandos, Gunn isn’t ready to make the same commitment to his most infamous enemy.

Things get a little more complicated when you bring Harley Quinn into the conversation. After all, her history with the Joker is a major part of what shaped her into the character fans know today.

“Obviously, Joker is a part of Harley’s past,” Gunn said. He went on to explain why that relationship is so important to Harley’s story. “She was born of this sort of abusive relationship where she was taken advantage of. And by a crazy guy who was a lot more evil than she was.”

Gunn acknowledged that removing that history would be “difficult” because of how much it contributes to Harley’s identity. The Suicide Squad manages to reference Harley’s romantic past without directly identifying the Joker. While the movie mentions her “ex-boyfriend,” it leaves his identity open.

“He’s not mentioned by name,” Gunn confirmed. As for whether that relationship will officially become part of the DCU's history, Gunn isn't making any promises. “So, I would say TBD,” he said.

Of course, this also raises questions about Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn. Gunn certainly wants to bring the character into his DCU, regardless of what happens with the Joker. “Harley is a character I’m almost certainly going to use in the DCU,” he said.

Whether Robbie will return to play her is another matter, but Gunn is more than willing to make it work if she's interested. “If Margot wants to play her, then I’ll bend over backwards to explain that in the world,” Gunn said.

If Robbie decides she's finished playing Harley, Gunn could simply recast the role without carrying over the character's previous movie continuity.

For now, Batman officially exists in the DCU, Harley Quinn has a future there, and the Joker remains a question mark. Gunn hasn't ruled out the villain, but he also isn't locking himself into a version of the character before there's a story to tell.

I'm curious to see what Gunn eventually does with the Joker. He's such a huge part of Batman's mythology that it's hard to imagine a DC Universe without him. At the same time, we've seen plenty of Joker stories over the years, so there's no reason to rush him into the picture.