Will the Joker be in the Birds of Prey movie?

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: The Joker from 'Suicide Squad' figurine displayed at Comic-Con International 2016 preview night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: The Joker from 'Suicide Squad' figurine displayed at Comic-Con International 2016 preview night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)

Harley Quinn and the Joker go hand in hand. But will Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime be appearing in the upcoming Birds of Prey film?

Suicide Squad standout Harley Quinn is back in action for her own glorious adventure on the big screen. She will be joined by the likes of Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Black Canary to take on the criminal underworld of Gotham. Quinn is taking back control of her life after she kicked her puddin’ to the curb, leading many to speculate on whether or not the Joker will appear in the Birds of Prey film.

The infamous Batman villain has seen a sudden surge in popularity thanks in most part to the 11-time Oscar nominee movie Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix. While the Gotham criminal has always been a solid fan-favorite, his stock has skyrocketed, begging the question, when will they get more Joker?

Phoenix’s version of the character exists in its own standalone universe and isn’t directly connected to the DCEU films, at least for now anyway. Given the recent reveal that the Arrowverse and the DCEU movies are connected, anything is possible. But the chances of Arthur Fleck making an appearance in the Birds of Prey film are incredibly slim.

As for Jared Leto’s intriguing take on the DC Comics evildoer, the actor won’t be reprising his role in the DCEU’s next R-rated affair or ever for that matter. The prolific actor wasn’t thrilled about how the studio handled his character in Suicide Squad and has since moved on to Sony’s universe of Marvel characters playing the living vampire, Mobius.

All we’ve seen from the Joker in Birds of Prey so far is that Harley planted explosives in his hideout at the Ace Chemicals factory and exploded it to bits. Between that and the poorly drawn portrait with sharp objects thrown into it, there isn’t any other sign of the Caped Crusader’s nemesis. The studio may want to cool it on the Joker for now and wait some time before introducing a new one again. So it’s safe to say that the Birds of Prey film will be a Joker-free endeavor.

But even without Mr. J, Harley Quinn and her crew will have their hands full with the sadistic crime lord Black Mask. Given what’s at stake and the players involved, fans will not want to miss one minute of all the action-packed fun the Birds of Prey have in store for audiences when the film comes out.

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn finally arrives in theaters on Feb. 7.

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