The Suicide Squad’s Margot Robbie Describes The Physical Toll Filming As Harley Quinn Takes

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The DC Extended Universe has established itself over the past few years, and there are a number of characters that have already appeared multiple times on the big screen. Chief among them is Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who will return for her third appearance in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Ahead of its release, Robbie described the physical toll filming as Harley takes on her.

Margot Robbie’s tenure as Harley Quinn is interesting because each appearance was helmed by another filmmaker entirely. As such, she’s lead the character through a variety of adventures-- although The Suicide Squad looks particularly massive in scale. Robbie explained how the explosive action of James Gunn’s DC debut took a toll on her, saying:

There are explosions and guns firing. And even though they’re blanks, your body starts reacting as if it’s real, your adrenaline’s through the roof.

That makes a great deal of sense. Because while Margot Robbie knows she’s not actually in a gunfight, her nervous system is reacting in another way entirely. So on top of rehearsing and shooting action sequences, there’s also a unique reaction that she physically has to the job.

Margot Robbie’s comments to THR help to show what it’s really like working on major blockbusters in the DC Extended Universe. Audiences see the finished product complete with editing and visual effects, but it’s an entirely different experience to make massive action sequences happen. And for The Suicide Squad, that meant putting the Oscar-nominated actress through a war zone, with Harley shooting off a rocket launcher in the process.

The Suicide Squad will be arriving on HBO Max for a limited time as it hits theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

From the limited trailers for The Suicide Squad, it certainly looks like Harley Quinn is involved in a ton of crazy stunts and action sequences. We see her using heavy artillery, taking out enemies with a spear, and even facing a kaiju. In the same interview, Margot Robbie went on to explain why it’s sometimes hard to unwind after shooting, saying:

Because, well, my body thinks it’s just been in a war zone.

While shooting might have been grueling at times, it certainly seems like it’ll be worth it when The Suicide Squad arrives in theaters and homes. Fans are eager to see Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn put his sensibilities into the DCEU. And with the movie’s R-rating and stellar cast of names, there’s no telling what twists and turns are coming our way.

It should be interesting to see where Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn pops up in the DCEU next after The Suicide Squad. Clearly Warner Bros. is invested in the character, as are moviegoing audiences. Robbie herself has expressed interest in bringing Poison Ivy into the mix, while some are holding out hope for a Birds of Prey sequel.

The Suicide Squad will officially arrive on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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.