If it does seem like Gotham‘s creators have been teasing the debut of Harley Quinn for years, it is because they have. Showrunners Danny Cannon, Erin Richards, whose character Barbara Keane was a frontrunner pick of viewers to become the iconic character, teased Harley’s arrival in few interviews. And last season, young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) stated that Harley was on her way to Fox’s Batman version of Gotham City.
It’s time to pump those brakes — or, rather slam on them completely and activate the emergency brake. While discussing Season 4 premiere with CBR, John Stephens addressed Harley Quinn;s arrival.
“It’s not going to happen,” Stephens told CBR point blank during an extensive interview about the series’ upcoming season. “Let’s put it out there. The discussions we’ve been having is – Look, we know Harley Quinn is never going to be on our show.”
While this is news to fans, Stephens is doubling-down on something he had said last summer at Comic-Con International. “I had thought I had said and I might have not said it: We’ll see a Harley Quinn-esque character,” he told fans. “But we’re never going to see Harley Quinn. Sorry about that.”
With so many people involved in Gotham‘s production has gone on record to tease Harley, it is understandable why viewers may have chosen not to believe Stephens’ SDCC statements.
Of course, while she may not be Harley in name, Barbara will continue to show that she is a Harley-esque character. “[T]here are elements of that Harley Quinn personality that we have liked, that sense of fun and anarchy, that we said, ‘Well, we can actually have those qualities embodied in Barbara without actually having to do Harley herself,’” Stephens told CBR. “I think Erin Richards carried it off really well.”
Returning Thursday, Sept. 21, on Fox, Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, Cameron Bicondova as Selina Kyle, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth.
