WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), in theaters now.

On the surface level, Birds of Prey seems surprisingly similar to the Deadpool films. Both of them are R-rated and largely comedic takes on the superhero genre, with an anarchic approach to their unique universes. But what initially appeared to be another connection between the two movies actually highlights the major differences between the two.

While Birds of Prey has the protagonist talk directly to the audience like Deadpool, the difference in tone keeps them from feeling too similar.

RELATED: How Birds of Prey Sets Up the Future of the DCEU

DEADPOOL VS. HARLEY QUINN

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Deadpool and Harley Quinn have been compared a lot in recent years, and not without good reason. Both were introduced as villains in their respective universes - Harley as the manic girlfriend to the Joker, Deadpool as an assassin hired to bring down Cable and the New Mutants. They both became fan favorites quickly and took on bigger roles as anti-heroes to accommodate that attention. Both of them received surprising amounts of depth while never fully losing the more comic elements of their character, and have slowly become more overtly heroic. They've also become major fan-favorites outside of their original forms, making the transition into television, video games, and film. But they both end up having some similar connections when they take center stage during their films.

In both of the Deadpool films as well as Birds of Prey, Harley and Deadpool spend a good chunk of time talking directly to the audience. The difference is how they present their perspectives to the audience, and how that informs the movie around them. In both Deadpool films, the merc with the mouth gleefully breaks the fourth wall and makes jokes right to the viewer. The character consistently makes references to pop culture, specifically about both Marvel and DC. He teases the audience for their expectations, and generally just mocking the genre that it inhabits. There's almost a sense of having its own cake and eating it with Deadpool. The film is essentially built around that idea.

Harley Quinn feels more direct in her moments of inner dialogue. She speaks to the audience all internally, making it much more of a narration than any attempt to break the fourth wall. She doesn't make the medium teasing gags that Deadpool does, and neither does she become overtly meta by specifically reference other franchises or series. Instead, her ramblings to the audience could be interpreted as her inner monologue, keeping herself entertained over the course of the film. It would also explain her occasional flashes of fancy, such as when she imagines a massive dance routine after Roman Sionis slaps her across the face. It 's a weirdly chaotic element while Deadpool tone feels smugly confident.

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THE BIG DIFFERENCE

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If there's any Marvel movie that Birds of Prey actually feels comparable too, it's Guardians of the Galaxy. Both films presented a more basic superhero idea (a team of unlikely misfits comes together to keep each other alive, save the day, and become better people) with a colorful tweak in tone and design. Guardians of the Galaxy relocated the dynamics to a gonzo space adventure, while Birds of Prey throws a shade of punk-flavored bombast.

While Deadpool and Harley both have to go on journies where they team up with a younger criminal (Russel in Deadpool 2 and Cassandra in Birds of Prey). While Deadpool tried to teach Russel how to be a better man, Harley is content teaching Cassandra confidence and willingness to do what you need to do to get what you want. The characters at the core of the story go through completely different arcs, using a slightly similar cinematic trick to get the audience inside their heads.

Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) stars Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, Francois Chau, Charlene Amoia, Chris Messina and Matthew Willig.

NEXT: Birds of Prey Is Hardly the First Film to Get a Name Change After Release