How Harley Quinn Nearly Took on the Penguin—Margot Robbie’s Surprising DC Reveal

Margot Robbie discloses that Oswald Cobblepot was originally the villain in Birds of Prey—until Matt Reeves claimed the character for his own Batman universe, reshaping Harley Quinn’s story in unexpected ways.

While promoting their imaginative fantasy romance A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell made a startling realization—they had never once discussed their shared legacies as Gotham City icons. Robbie, known for playing Harley Quinn, and Farrell, who portrayed the Penguin, discovered this only during an interview.

Robbie surprised Farrell by revealing a fascinating behind-the-scenes twist: in the first draft of Birds of Prey written by Christina Hodson, the Penguin was meant to be the villain. “The first draft … the villain was the Penguin,” Robbie told a visibly stunned Farrell. His reaction of “No way! Really?” mirrored fans’ surprise across the globe.

However, director Matt Reeves stepped in, stating, “Don’t use the Penguin. I’m going to use him in my thing.” This led the creative team to replace him with Black Mask, portrayed by Ewan McGregor.

Farrell, intrigued by this alternate reality, asked Robbie if she still had the script. “Yeah, it’s probably on my computer,” she confirmed. “You could read it,” she joked—and Farrell eagerly accepted the offer, excited to see his Gotham counterpart’s earlier version.

As of now, Margot Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn remains unclear within the newly rebooted DC Universe. DC Studios co-head James Gunn has indicated that her return “will be revealed down the line.”

Meanwhile, Colin Farrell continues to bring **Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot—a.k.a. the Penguin—to life. He debuted the character in The Batman (2022) and reprised it in HBO’s acclaimed spinoff, The Penguin.

In other DC news, Matt Reeves’ sequel, The Batman Part II, has been confirmed to begin filming in spring 2026, according to Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholder announcement. The film is currently slated for release on October 1, 2027, with Reeves having already completed the script earlier this summer.