Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
A new reference in Lanterns has renewed fan theories about Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn in the DC Universe. DC Studios has not confirmed Robbie’s return, but a line in Episode 6 has linked the series to an important event from James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
The discussion started after John Stewart, played by Aaron Pierre, mentioned past alien attacks while discussing municipal panic rooms during a 2026 business pitch. Stewart referenced the destruction in Metropolis and the “giant starfish invasion” in Corto Maltese.
The latter is a clear reference to Starro the Conqueror, the alien creature that attacked Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad. Robbie’s Harley Quinn was one of the film’s main characters and played a key role in the fight against Starro.
The reference also confirms that the events of The Suicide Squad remain part of the history of the new DCU. Rather than completely ignoring previous DC movies, Gunn appears to be carrying certain events and characters into the new continuity.
The fan theory picked up pace after the 17-second video went viral on X, when scooper Daniel Richtman retweeted it, captioning, “Margot Robbie better be back.”
Margot Robbie better be back https://t.co/A13OAdgdeq— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) September 21, 2026
Fans followed up as @harsh662894151 wrote, “She is literally the perfect Quinn and still has another 10 years in her.”
@dc_fan24 added, “I think they should keep Margot, just recast joker.”
Similarly, another fan, @CrusanLucious wrote, “She BETTER BE or else I’m gonna riot!!”
@WarcwaIIooom mentioned, “So Margot Robbie Harley Quinn is canon???????”
The Lanterns references have fans looking back at Harley Quinn’s place in the new DCU
The mention of Starro has led fans to revisit the possibility of Robbie returning as Harley Quinn. Her future in the franchise has remained unclear since her last appearance, while Lady Gaga played a different version of Harleen Quinzel in Joker: Folie à Deux.
Gunn has previously avoided giving a clear answer about Harley’s future in the DCU. He has also spoken positively about Robbie’s performance as the character, leaving open the possibility of another appearance.
Additionally, Robbie has also expressed interest in playing Harley again. However, she previously indicated that she had not received a formal offer from Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios.
The Lanterns reference does not confirm Robbie’s return or indicate that Harley will appear in an upcoming project. It does, however, establish that the events involving her in The Suicide Squad happened within the new DCU’s history.
