Poison Ivy could make her presence felt in Birds of Prey sequel

Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan has teased her plans for a possible sequel to the film. She would love to see another DC Comics villain join the team.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantbulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the latest DC Extended Universe film to hit our screens, recently came out on video on demand, giving even more people the chance to see how quietly queer the film was. Now, the director of the film, Cathy Yan, has revealed that she has ideas for a sequel that would not only introduce a fan-favourite DC Comics character to the screen once again but would also explore that character’s queer relationship with one of the Birds.

Many have noted that the film wasn’t the box office smash that was expected, but considering what an impact the film has had on numerous viewers, anticipation is high that we get a Birds of Prey sequel. Yan and star Margot Robbie aren’t ready for Harley Quinn to hang up her boots yet, and Yan would love to make a sequel with Poison Ivy added to the mix. Speaking to The Wrap, Yan said:

"“I would love to see Poison Ivy and I would certainly love to see the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy…”"

For the longest time, Harley Quinn was assumed to be straight because of her undying devotion to Mr. J. However, a few recent comic runs have explored Harley Quinn’s developing relationship with Poison Ivy. Some creators have been more direct about Harley and Ivy’s romance, while others have been far more circumspect.

When Harley debuted on the big screen in Suicide Squad her entire characterization revolved around Jared Leto’s Joker. Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson began the film by breaking up the problematic pair and added more layers to Harley.

In the opening animated montage of the film, Harley Quinn narrates her eccentric backstory that led her into the arms of Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime. During the montage, eagle-eyed viewers spotted one of Harley’s ex-lovers was a woman. This immediately opens the door for the DCEU to explore Harley’s canon romance with Poison Ivy.

Poison Ivy, formerly known as Dr. Pamela Isley, is an eco-terrorist with an affinity for foliage. Her powers grant her control over plants, allowing her to use vines and plant-based toxins as weapons. Ivy has appeared on screen before, but neither of her live-action counterparts in Batman & Robin (played by Uma Thurman) nor on Gotham (Clare Foley, Maggie Geha, and Peyton List) have represented her queer identity.

The LGBTQIA+ community continues to be underrepresented in big-screen genre properties, though Birds of Prey finally introduced a lesbian hero to the comic book genre. In the film, Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) played a badass cop who also happened to have an ex-girlfriend. This was a key aspect of the character’s comic book characterization that thankfully made it to the big screen.  Renee and her ex, ADA Ellen Yee (Ali Wong), were frequently stuck in awkward situations together given their romantic involvement and the fact that Renee was constantly asking favours of Ellen. And no one on-screen batted an eye about it.

Robbie is set to appear in the Suicide Squad sequel as Harley Quinn, which is worrying given how beloved her Birds of Prey version of the character has become. With Yan sharing more ideas for a sequel, we can’t wait for Warner Bros. to put an official stamp on it.