When James Gunn was announced as the screenwriter (and possibly director) of the upcoming sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad, anticipation was high for the former Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director's take on the team of supervillains. However, a new report suggests one of the original film's standout characters likely won't return.

According to Forbes, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn will not appear in The Suicide Squad, as plans for a Joker and Harley film, reuniting Robbie with her Suicide Squad co-star Jared Leto, will not move forward, along with the previously planned solo Joker project. This follows the report that Gunn's film would feature mostly new faces.

RELATED: Gunn's Suicide Squad Will Be a Relaunch, with a Mostly All-New Cast

This change is largely the result of Warner Bros. shifting its focus away from a vast, interconnected cinematic universe. Although the upcoming Shazam! will reference the films that came before it, future DCEU movies will act as a fresh slate for these characters to be re-introduced to audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with their comic book history.

Fans of Margot Robbie's Harley need not fear, though, as the character will appear alongside the Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya and Cassandra Cain in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which is scheduled for release February 7th, 2020.

RELATED: Suicide Squad 2: 4 Characters We Want To See Return (And 4 We Don't)

Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad does not have an announced cast yet. The film is set to hit theaters Aug. 6, 2021.