Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in the animated series. (DC Universe)

The Harley Quinn animated series is to explore her relationship with Poison Ivy.

Patrick Schumacker, the showrunner on the well-received DC animated series, suggested that plans are afoot for the second season to get a lot more queer.

Fans will know that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy – played by Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell in the series – have had a relationship in the comics before, but the storyline is yet to make it into any on-screen adaptation.

However, after the trailer for the show’s second season teased some chemistry, Schumacker confirmed to Metro that the romance will be explored in a “meaningful way”.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy will ‘deal with their real feelings for each other’.

The showrunner said: “It will develop more, and it’s definitely going to evolve into, I think, what a lot of people are hoping it will.

“What I can say is, we wanted to do it – it was always on the table… it felt interesting to us or felt like, maybe even important to us, to do it.”

He added that the plotline was not included in the first season because it largely focused on the character finding empowerment after escaping from the Joker.

Schumacker explained: “We thought, let’s not do it in the first season, because the first season is about Harley just getting out of an abusive relationship. What would that say about the character if the first story that we tell is about her being in a relationship with somebody else?

“Immediately, just let’s make the first [season] about her focusing on her career.”

While she’s apparently ready enough to move on in season two, a relationship between two super-villains is likely to be volatile at the best of times.

Schumacker said: “Harley is not the safe choice. Harley is unpredictable and she’s unreliable. She runs off on an adventure at the drop of a hat. During the first season, and much of the second, Ivy is looking for stability.

“There’s an important episode that deals with them, kind of in the fallout of them having to deal with their real feelings of each other.

“The second season does evolve their relationship, and in quite a meaningful way.”

Margot Robbie wants to explore the storyline on the big screen, too.

Margot Robbie, who played the character in the films Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, has previously teased her hopes to explore the Poison Ivy romance.

She said in 2018: “I would love to have Poison Ivy thrown into the universe, because the Harley and Poison Ivy relationship is one of my favourite aspects of the comics, so I’m looking to explore that on screen.”

However, no further films have been announced for the character following the commercial failure of Birds of Prey.