Warner Bros. just can”t get a grip on “Suicide Squad.” Like the veritable little Dutch Boy sticking their finger in the dam, each plugged leak results in three more down the line. The latest tidbit comes courtesy of Ingrid Kleinig, stunt double to Margot Robbie. While Kleinig's Instagram account has been deleted, screengrabs are forever.
The below spoiler is minuscule and not at all a surprise to fans of the comics, it is still brand-new information in regards to the film. So, you know:
WARNING: “SUICIDE SQUAD SPOILERS” BEYOND THIS POINT.
Yep, there it is. The infamous ACE Chemicals that turned the Joker into the psychopath we all know and love/fear. At least in some of his origin stories. But this tiny set detail could hold dire consequences for Robbie”s transformation from Dr. Harleen Quinzel to Harley Quinn. While Harley”s origin in “Batman: The Animated Series” was completely psychological – the Joker manipulated her into falling in love with him – the “Suicide Squad” comic went for a more direct approach. Via a bath. In acid.
In SUICIDE SQUAD VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7, Joker unceremoniously dumps the good Doctor into a vat of Ace Chemicals – the same concoction that supposedly turned him into the man Dr. Quinzel has feelings for. The result?
As the “Suicide Squad” trailer is intercut with a scene where costumed goons shoot up a lab while Dr. Quinzel is thrown onto a table – and that same lab appearing behind Joker during his ominous “I”m just gonna hurt you real, real bad,” line – it”s safe to say we”re getting some variation of Harley”s origin. The photo is just another piece in the puzzle. The real question remains: How will the movie portray Harley”s relationship with the Joker?
Since her inception, Harley Quinn has been trapped in a familiar cycle of domestic abuse with the Joker, only ratcheted up to the Nth degree. “Suicide Squad” director David Ayer wants realistic performances out of his actors. So perhaps digging into the toxic relationship Harley has with the Clown Prince of Crime is on the table. After all, in Harley”s current comic incarnation she is in the process of putting her life together sans abusive boyfriend.