Honestly, if you go back to 2016, it felt like a Harley Quinn and Joker movie was an absolute certainty. You couldn’t walk through a mall without seeing those "Property of Joker" jackets. Margot Robbie and Jared Leto were the "it" couple of the year, even if Leto’s Joker spent most of Suicide Squad stuck in a helicopter or a flashback.
But then, things got weird.
Fast forward to 2026, and the landscape of DC movies looks nothing like we expected back then. We didn't get the "Mad Love" romance film. Instead, we got a jukebox musical that divided the world and a bunch of scripts that ended up in a shredder.
The Movie That Died in Development Hell
Back in 2017, Warner Bros. actually hired Glenn Ficarra and John Requa—the duo behind Crazy, Stupid, Love—to write and direct a film centered entirely on the Harley and Joker dynamic. The pitch was described as a "criminal love story" or an "insane rom-com." People were hyped. It was supposed to happen right after The Suicide Squad.
It never did.
The project was officially scrapped by 2019. Why? Basically, the studio realized that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was much more popular when she was away from the Joker. Birds of Prey was literally subtitled The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. It was a breakup movie. By the time James Gunn took over the DC Universe, the Jared Leto era was effectively buried.
Joker: Folie à Deux and the Lady Gaga Pivot
Since the Leto/Robbie version died, Todd Phillips gave us a different kind of Harley Quinn and Joker movie. He cast Lady Gaga as "Lee" Quinzel opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck.
It wasn't a superhero movie. It was a $200 million gamble on a musical courtroom drama.
If you caught Joker: Folie à Deux during its run in late 2024, you know it didn't exactly set the world on fire like the first one. While the original Joker made over a billion dollars, the sequel struggled to clear $207 million worldwide. Critics were brutal. Fans who wanted to see Arthur Fleck finally become a "crime lord" were pretty much told to get lost by the director.
The Ending That Still Stings
The movie essentially deconstructs the entire idea of the Joker. Arthur Fleck admits in court that he isn't a symbol. He's just Arthur.
Gaga’s Harley? She’s not the victim here. She’s the manipulator. She’s a "super-fan" who is only in love with the mask. The moment Arthur drops the act and becomes a real person, she walks away. It’s a cold, bleak ending that leaves Arthur to die on a prison floor while a nameless inmate carves a smile into his own face in the background.
Where Do They Go From Here?
It's 2026, and the "Elseworlds" projects like the Todd Phillips movies are mostly wrapped up. The focus has shifted to James Gunn’s new DCU.
Margot Robbie has hinted she’s ready to pass the torch, and we’re seeing new versions of these characters pop up in the comics that might hint at future films. For instance, the Batman #7 run starting in March 2026 is reimagining the Joker as "Batman's best friend" in a fractured psyche story by Matt Fraction.
The industry has moved away from the "toxic romance" tropes of the mid-2010s. Modern audiences seem way more interested in Harley Quinn as an independent anti-hero than as the Joker’s sidekick.
What You Should Do Next
If you're still chasing that Harley/Joker itch, don't wait for a new movie. The cinematic versions are currently in a deep freeze. Instead, check out these specific runs that actually deliver the depth the movies missed:
- Watch the Harley Quinn Animated Series: It's the best version of their breakup and her growth.
- Read "Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity": This is a 2026 DC Black Label standout. It treats Harley as a forensic profiler hunting the Joker. It’s gritty, realistic, and way more intense than anything we saw on screen.
- Track the 2026 "DC All In" Initiative: The comics are currently redefining the Joker's identity, which usually signals where the next movie reboot will go in a few years.
The dream of a "Bonnie and Clyde" style Harley and Joker movie is likely dead. And honestly? Looking at the box office numbers for the last attempt, maybe that’s for the best.