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James Gunn Post Honors Harley Quinn, Batman: TAS's Arleen Sorkin

James Gunn honored Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's Harley Quinn and the late Arleen Sorkin (Batman: The Animated Series) in an anniversary post.


While a whole lot of folks are wondering what the deal is going to be when it comes to Harley Quinn's role on DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU, Gunn is making it clear with some "birthday" wishes that he hasn't forgotten about her. Harley Quinn would make her debut in Batman: The Animated Series S01E22: "Joker's Favor" (directed by Boyd Kirkland and written by Paul Dini) on September 11, 1992. To say that Dr. Harleen Quinzel made quite the impact would be an understatement, with Harley Quinn (thankfully) breaking away from her Joker connections and becoming a complex, layered, and thoroughly fascinating character in her own right. Earlier today, Gunn took to social media to give the character, her creators, Dini and Bruce Timm, and the first voice (and inspiration) for the character, the late Arleen Sorkin, some love.

Harley Quinn
Image: Batman: TAS YouTube Screencap

"Happy anniversary to the Clown Princess of Crime! Harley Quinn has been stealing the spotlight since her debut in Batman: The Animated Series, where she taught us all the true meaning of 'main character energy' — especially since she was created as a side character! She was immortalized by the immense talents of the late Arleen Sorkin ❤️🖤," Gunn wrote as the caption to his Instagram post, honoring Dini and Timm's character, the series, and Sorkin's amazing voice work:

"I slept with Paul Dini," Sorkin joked in a 2008 interview with Starlog when explaining how she landed the role. "Actually, Paul and I have been friends since college – back at Emerson. He was home one day watching 'Days of Our Lives.' We did a dream sequence where I was a court jester, and he said that was the inspiration for Harley. Paul called me up and said, 'Would you like to do this character?' I said yes and came over! I was born to play her." As for how it felt knowing that she had such an influence on the character? "It's completely flattering, " Sorkin added. "Knowing that makes it a joyful experience to play her. I don't feel I'll ever be recast, so that's good too."


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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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