David Ayer responds to fan’s criticism of sexualizing Harley Quinn

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

SUICIDE SQUAD came out in 2016 and it's still the victim of a lot of polarizing criticism. The film, while financially successful, was dragged by critics and isn't exactly a fan favorite of the DCEU releases. With the release of BIRDS OF PREY & the national lockdown giving people nothing but time to catch up on older movies, SUICIDE SQUAD became the topic of conversation again recently when a fan on Twitter called out the movie for the sexualization of Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie in the film. David Ayer must've been cruising Twitter that day because he actually responded to the criticism.

The Twitter user said, "Harley was sexualized in the entire Suicide Squad movie and in Birds Of Prey she was a real character, not a eyecandy". Ayer didn't exactly disagree with the sentiment but he went further by pointing out more was intended for that character in SUICIDE SQUAD but her story arc was compromised. Check out the Twitter exchange below:

David Ayer has taken quite the beating since the release of SUICIDE SQUAD in 2016 and it's not exactly fair that he's shouldered with all the blame for how that film turned out, Sure, he's the director but this is also a huge tentpole release that was likely the victim of a lot of studio interference from Warner Bros. I can't say I'm a huge fan of how it all turned out but the one aspect of the film that I thought worked was Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn. I didn't think they sexualized the character and had her merely there to gawk at. In a film that is littered with many characters, she managed to stand out and that wasn't just based on how she looks. Robbie did a lot with the character and Ayer gave us a live-action version of the character that seemed accurate enough to the character's origins. 

In BIRDS OF PREY, she should feel like more of a fully formed character because it's HER movie. She's not fighting for screentime with high-profile stars. The movie is her moment and despite solid reviews, BIRDS OF PREY didn't light up the box office but that shouldn't go to show that Robbie or the character can't carry a film. The character has a strong enough narrative to be interesting and that arguably started with what Ayer did with her in SUICIDE SQUAD.

Harley Quinn will be seen again in James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD and I'm sure he'll be at the center of a lot of fan criticism, good and bad when that film comes out in 2021. Until then, David Ayer is the punching bag but kudos to him for giving a respectful answer instead of just going off. At the end of the day, he was the captain of that ship and felt he should've done better but I honestly think certain things were just out of his control.

Do YOU think Harley Quinn was sexualized in SUICIDE SQUAD? Is it time to lay off David Ayer?