James Gunn Has Some High Praise For Margot Robbie After The Suicide Squad

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven itself as an unstoppable machine throughout Phase Three, Warner Bros.' DC live-action universe has also been making some great strides forward. Following the poor performance of Justice League, the DCEU pivoted away from crossovers, allowing directors to have more control in projects like Shazam! and Aquaman. One of the most hotly anticipated movies coming down the pipeline in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which will bring back some returning villains alongside newcomer characters. And now Gunn is throwing some major compliments Margot Robbie's way.

Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was the undisputed scene stealer from David Ayer's Suicide Squad, and she'll soon return to theaters in Birds of Prey. James Gunn's upcoming DC debut will be the whopping third time Robbie is playing Harley, and the efforts have definitely impressed Gunn. Because when recently asked if he'd started working with Robbie, he said:

Yes. She might be the best actor I've ever worked with.

Woah. James Gunn has had a long career in filmmaking, and has worked with plenty of talented actors during his time behind the camera. Margot Robbie must be doing some stellar work in The Suicide Squad to eclipse the rest of Gunn's collaborators. And that'll make anticipation for the upcoming blockbuster all the more intense in the coming years.

James Gunn's comments come from the recent Q&A he did on his Instagram story. The director regularly uses social media to communicate directly with the fandom, even after old tweets from a decade ago got him (briefly) fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That drama was what led to Gunn signing on for The Suicide Squad, which he previously stated was the most fun he's had on a set.

The Suicide Squad is one of the most intriguing upcoming DC movies, mostly because it'll be some combination of a sequel and a reboot. A handful of characters from David Ayer's original movie will be popping back up, with Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag and Jai Courtney's Captain Boomerang returning alongside Harley Quinn.

Related: Looks Like The Suicide Squad's John Cena Is Really Impressing His Co-Stars

As for Margot Robbie, her third appearance as Harley has the potential to be her best outing yet. While Birds of Prey will give the femme fatale friends, she'll be back in the villain business with The Suicide Squad. The character should be much more developed and changed from David Ayer's original, especially when it comes to her relationship with Jared Leto's Joker.

Margot Robbie's star power and acclaim has been steadily growing in the past few years, starting with her appearance in The Wolf of Wall Street. This lead to plenty of high profile gigs, including I, Tonya, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and Bombshell. But her name will seemingly be synonymous with Harley Quinn moving forward, as Warner Bros. continues her tenure in the DCEU.

The Suicide Squad will arrive in theaters on August 6, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. Plus, our 2020 release list to look ahead to the New Year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.