Here's our guide to all the DCEU Easter eggs and references in Suicide Squad spinoff. It's set entirely in Gotham City, although it's curiously absent of of the Bat-Family. As with any superhero blockbuster, however, the film is packed with Easter eggs.
The majority of these Easter eggs are, naturally, related to Harley Quinn and the Joker. They reflect the fact that this is Birds of Prey in name only; in reality, it's a Harley Quinn comic writ large, with all the craziness and zaniness readers of those comics will recognize. In an interview with Sarah Michelle Gellar got in on the act. So DC is clearly hoping history can repeat itself on the big screen, with Harley becoming a major draw for audiences.
In light of this, let's take a closer look at the latest chapter of the DC Extended Universe, and explore all its Easter eggs and subtle references.
24. Harley Quinn's Original Animated Origin
Birds of Prey accurately presents Harley Quinn's backstory, complete with some shots lifted straight from Suicide Squad to ensure there's a strong sense of continuity here. But it goes a lot deeper, exploring Harley's abusive childhood - and her dad who traded her in for a can of beer. Attentive viewers will note the beer is called "DINI," a reference to Harley's creator Paul Dini. This isn't the only nod to Harley's creators, with two cops called Dimm and Tini (swap the first letters for names that honor both Paul Dini and Bruce Timm). Later, Renee Montoya's TV shows an image of Arleen Sorkin as a Harlequin in Days of Our Lives; this was actually the inspiration for Harley, and Sorkin voiced her in Batman: The Animated Series.
23. Harley's Pets Are Lifted Straight From The Comics...
Both Bernie the Beaver and Harley's pet hyenas are established parts of Harley Quinn lore. As in Birds of Prey, the comic book version of Bernie is a stuffed animal who Harley is convinced can talk - he's even had character arcs, and is apparently quite randy. Harley Quinn's hyenas, meanwhile, were introduced in Batman: The Animated Series, where they were a twisted version of the family pets. Like Harley herself, they made the jump to the comics and now to the big screen.
22. Harley Has A Thing For Bruce Wayne
Harley's hyenas are traditionally named Bud and Lou, after Abbot and Costello. In both the animated series and the comics, those names were chosen by the Joker - meaning they really wouldn't be appropriate for a film where Harley is getting over her ex. Instead, in the DCEU Harley has named her single pet hyena "Bruce" - after "that hunky Wayne guy." Harley clearly has quite a thing for Bruce Wayne, even wearing the name "Bruce" on a dog tag.
21. Harley Quinn's Costume Changes
Birds of Prey pays homage to almost all of Harley Quinn's previous looks. Her traditional costume is shown in animated flashback, and the roller-blade outfit is lifted straight from 2013's Harley Quinn #1 (the number "92" references the year of her debut in Batman: The Animated Series). Amusingly, Harley decides she wants to keep the Suicide Squad outfit, claiming it has "sentimental value." Notice a katana in Harley's box of goodies at Amusement Mile (she worked with Katana in Suicide Squad). While this is unlikely to be Katana's actual blade, it suggest Harley liked the weapon and wanted one of her own.
20. Some Hilarious Injustice Nods
Birds of Prey lifts a lot of its style and tone from Tom Taylor's much-loved Injustice series. In fact, one scene is played straight from those comics, with Harley Quinn storming a police station. Even the dialogue is perfectly comic-book-accurate. "I'd like to report a terrible crime," Harley quips, before unleashing mayhem on the Gotham City Police Department.
19. Harley Quinn Knows The East Side
In one scene, Harley Quinn comments that she knows Gotham's East Side better than anyone. This is the poorest part of Gotham, and the notorious Crime Alley - site of the Wayne murders - is situated there. The Joker has never been massively active in the East Side, so this may hint that the nunnery Harley went to as a child was situated there. Of course, Harley Quinn isn't necessarily a reliable narrator, so the nuns may not have been quite so bad as she claims.
18. Harley Voted For Bernie Sanders
According to the list of "grievances" that Black Mask has with her, Harley Quinn voted for Bernie Sanders. That may not mean anything about Harley's political leanings, though; given how whimsical she is, she may have cast her vote for Bernie just because his name reminded her of her beaver.
17. The Joker's Absence Feels Pointed
Harley Quinn spends the entirety of Birds of Prey struggling to get out of the Joker's shadow. Curiously, though, there's next to no hint of Jared Leto's Joker; all the animations show a far more traditional version of the Clown Prince of Crime, and Harley rattles off his comic book nicknames when she's trying to impress Cassandra Cain. Leto's version of the Joker wasn't exactly a hit in Suicide Squad, and there's been intense speculation he'll be recast. His deliberate absence, even carefully excised in flashbacks from Suicide Squad, seems to hint that will indeed be the case.
16. Harley Destroys ACE Chemicals
Harley announces a change in her relationship status by destroying Shazam! as well.
15. Harley Heads To Amusement Mile
Later in the film, when Harley needs a place to arrange a meet, she chooses the Joker's turf - Amusement Mile. An abandoned amusement park in North Gotham, this is traditionally the Joker's base of operations, most famous for its role in The Killing Joke. It seems the Joker has decided to leave that for Harley, because he's taken all his equipment out and left a crate packed with Harley's few belongings. Look carefully, and you'll spot "HAHAHAHAHAH" scrawled on one wall in a similar style to the Joker's laugh in The Dark Knight Returns. It also resembles the distinctive tattoos on Leto's Joker.
