Once upon a time in Hollywood... DC Comics fans were actually psyched when they learned that Jared Leto and Margot Robbie would be the new Joker and Harley Quinn (respectively) in the DC Extended Universe. Then Suicide Squad happened, and DC fans were left feeling glad that at least Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was part of the franchise; Leto's Joker... not so much. As a result of that diverging fan opinion, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is now stepping out into her own spinoff franchise with Birds of Prey, and in a new interview, she confirms that indeed, Jared Leto's Joker will not be a part of the Birds of Prey experience!

Here's what Margot Robbie had to say, according to Variety, about Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, and the non-involvement of Jared Leto's Joker:

"During “Suicide Squad,” Robbie says she “fell in love with” Harley Quinn, though she didn’t understand why the wildly brilliant, unstable character would stay in a relationship with the Joker (played by Jared Leto), who “wants to kill her most of the time... [Birds of Prey] as its subtitle implies, starts after Harley’s breakup with the Joker. Robbie confirms that Leto’s incarnation of the character doesn’t appear, not even as a cameo."

This isn't the first confirmation we've had that Jared Leto's Joker isn't coming anywhere near Birds of Prey: it was confirmed Jared Leto wasn't in the film back in early fall. Early in 2019 Leto seemed to be hinting that he might be making a return as Joker in Birds of Prey when he posted an ominous clown emoji in his social media feeds. However, the situation took a very drastic turn with the arrival of Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's Joker standalone film. That project allegedly made Jared Leto quite upset, and Joker's milestone success (the most profitable comic book movie of all time!) has sparked rumors that Jared Leto's Joker is all but done in the DC movie franchise. We still have no confirmation of that - but if Leto's "Mr. J." isn't in Birds of Prey; and he's not attached to The Batman reboot Matt Reeves is doing; and Leto's standalone Joker film is no longer a thing... where would he possibly show up next?

Upcoming DC Movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022. The Flash is set to go into production in 2021.