Here’s how Birds of Prey sets up a possible sequel

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) didn’t need post-credit scenes to pave the way for a sequel. Spoilers ahead.

Fans have patiently waited to see what Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) has in store for DC Comics’ favorite female (anti) heroines. Birds of Prey was a film Margot Robbie pushed for, so one could only imagine what to expect. Warner Bros. made it known that they wanted to put Harley Quinn front and center in the DCEU, and it had been a while since we last saw her.

Thanks to Birds of Prey, the wait for is over, and fans now get to see more of Harley Quinn on the big screen than ever before. The general consensus is that Birds of Prey lived up to expectation,s despite the box office numbers not reflecting its greatness. Not to sound like a critic, but it was its own movie, a stylish, funny, corky and violent adventure. There were also underlying themes about the importance of independence and self-discovery.

Still, for all of its greatness, this was not a true Birds of Prey movie. It was more of an origin story for a collection of characters that would eventually lead to a team-up film. Sure, they had two of the main BoP characters in Black Canary, Huntress and to a lesser degree, Cassandra Cain. If you throw in Renee Montoya, you have a group of heroes who appear to have officially dubbed themselves “Birds of Prey” by the end of the film.

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However, DC Comics fans will tell you there’s more to BoP than what we saw. The primary focus was on the strength of these heroes and what could happen if they work together. Like any great super-team origin, unforeseen circumstances pushed their backs against the walls, forcing the women to band together.

Birds of Prey was a tease for the average comic book fan, and it’s easy to imagine a sequel happening, especially considering how events played out. Let’s not get it twisted. Birds of Prey did feel final in its own way by not relying on post-credits scenes or an incomplete storyline that blatantly sets up a sequel. Nevertheless, despite the unique introduction to the characters which differed from the comics; there’s a lot of meat left on the bone for a true depiction of the Birds of Prey.

Yan made sure to create a story that felt different from in comics. One of the missing pieces of the team was its leader, Barbara Gordon. But this film didn’t need her. Yet thanks to the set-up, there’s a way for Gordon to take over as leader of this misguided group of heroes. Barbara Gordon is possibly coming to the DCEU very soon. And if Batgirl solo movie does get made, it could serve as a bridge between Birds of Prey and its potential sequel.

Besides, the likelihood of critically and commercially successful comic book movies being one and done is low. So there’s no need to wait for the news to hit the web — you heard it here first. We’ll have to wait for more box office numbers, but one can expect Warner Bros and Walter Hamada to produce a Birds of Prey sequel with a little less Harley Quinn. And not only that, but fans should get hyped for the inclusion of one Barbara Gordon aka Oracle — we need that.