The Suicide Squad saw Harley Quinn escape from capture in explosive, animated fashion, and according to James Gunn, the concept was developed very early on while writing the film.
The scene shows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) fighting off her captors while viewers can see flowers and animated birds flying through the air as she takes out one soldier after another. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the visuals of the scene, Gunn said that "they were there from the beginning" and that he had written those moments into the actual script. The director also said that he planned the sequence out by drawing them onto storyboards, illustrating more that this was not a decision made in the editors' room after filming had concluded.
"Yeah, those were all written into the script, actually," said Gunn. "They were just a part of the sequence. It really was a matter of taking the sequence and trying to have it build on itself more and more and more as the sequence went on."
The sequence is very reminiscent of the Harley Quinn series from The New 52 written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, and her outfit in the movie draws inspiration from the title. In the series, there are many moments where readers are given a glimpse into how Harley sees the world, with vivid and brightly-colored sequences that branch off from reality. Conner and Pamiotti are even included in the "Special Thanks" portion of the end credits.
For Gunn, having Margot Robbie play the psychiatrist-turned-antihero was a massive help to the sequence and the character's journey in the film. "What's so great about Margot is that she's just too good on many different fronts," he said, noting that Robbie's skills stretch across acting, comedy and athletics, which he says made crafting the character "very easy" for him.
One example given is the a part early on in the sequence where Harley picks a key up off the floor with her feet and lifts it all the way up to unlock her shackles above her head. "She was able to just instantly grab the key with her foot and then twist herself backwards to put the key in the lock from the one shot," said Gunn. "It’s a real bummer because of that thing in front of her face, but if you look closely, you can see it’s Margot."
The director said that he is also open to the idea of creating a Harley Quinn movie, saying, "I really feel that character" and discussing how he gravitates toward character personalities that aren't completely defined. While Gunn admitted that he would rather create and develop new characters than popular, well-known characters, Harley is one he would be open to revisiting. According to the studio, Gunn will return for future projects, but it is unclear if this will involve more work with the character.
The Suicide Squad is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. The film has been Gunn's first Certified Fresh film that earned the score before releasing domestically, and sees Robbie star alongside Idris Elba, Daniela Melchior, Viola Davis, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, David Dastmalchian and many others.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter