DCEU: 10 Changes From The Comics That Were Totally Justified
4. Harley Quinn's Origin (Suicide Squad)
Like much of the DC Extended Universe, Suicide Squad took its cues from the New 52 era of DC Comics continuity, and this is true for many of its character designs.
Take Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, for example: She has the same bleached skin, pigtailed hairdo and edgy dress sense as her New 52 counterpart, but director David Ayer made a significant change to her backstory.
The rebooted Harley from the comic books sports this particular look because of the Joker's actions. He pushed her into a vat of acid against her will, whitening her complexion and turning her into a full-on sociopathic monster. The movie's take on this event is similar, yet with one key difference: Harley willing jumps into the chemicals as an expression of her undying, and in many ways toxic, love for Mister J.
This might sound like a minor change on paper, but it's a significant one because it gives Robbie's Harley the same agency and choice as her counterpart from the pre-New 52 era. Ayer adapted the character's modern look but removed her unwilling victim status with this shrewd tweak to the source material.