Harley Quinn's New Costume Is Perfect For The Post-James Gunn DCU Era

Published Nov 11, 2026, 11:39 AM EST TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. Love or hate the movies, Margot Robbie was a stunning Harley Quinn, both in appearance and in her acting, and many fans hope to see her return to the role. However, with news breaking that James Gunn is officially leaving his leadership role at DC Studios, Robbie’s return to the character is now more uncertain than ever. This means there’s a real possibility that Harley Quinn will be recast, and with a new actress will undoubtedly come a new look. The good news, though, is that DC has just revealed Harley’s new costume, and it’s perfect for a post-James Gunn DCU era. On November 9, 2026, Skydance announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be stepping down as co-CEOs of DC Studios after four years. While Gunn and Safran will return to their creative work and remain involved in upcoming DC projects, former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham will take over, marking the end of Gunn and Safran's leadership over DC's film, television, and animation divisions. This change in leadership also unfortunately means that all the verbal promises and plans Gunn previously made for the DCU are now up in the air, including his open invitation for Margot Robbie to reprise her role. During The Suicide Squad: Is It Canon? The Official Podcast back in October, Gunn said, “Harley is a character I'm almost certainly going to use in the DCU, and if Margot wants to play her, then I'll bend over backwards to explain that in the world.” With DC's leadership shake-up, we may be on the verge of a new era for Harley Quinn's live-action projects. Interestingly, this also coincides with developments in DC Comics, as a new creative team is taking over the ongoing Harley Quinn series and launching a new look for the character in March 2027. DC has revealed the first images of this new design, and we give it a major thumbs-up. It's also a look we could see inspiring Harley's future appearance in the DCU. Harley Quinn’s New Costume Is A Gen-Z Dream Come True Official Harley Quinn Concept Art by David Nakayama As any DC fan knows, the comics are often used as source material or, at the very least, inspiration for the DCU's various television and movie projects. This influence also extends to character costumes and their live-action portrayals. So, with Harley Quinn getting a new costume as the DCU undergoes a major leadership change, it's entirely possible that her new comic era could inspire her next live-action look. Harley's new comic era will be led by writer Joanne Starer (Dinner Date) and artist Lukas Ketner (Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns), with legendary artist David Nakayama taking over as the series' main cover artist. Fans can expect this creative team transition to begin with Harley Quinn #71, which is set to release on February 24, 2027. However, Harley's wardrobe update won't arrive until Harley Quinn #72. Designed by David Nakayama, this Harley Quinn costume update has already been teased through official character design concept art and a variant cover for issue #71 by artist Yona, both of which can be found above. We give the design a major 10/10 because it preserves Harley's traditional color scheme while delivering something fun, modern, flirty, and, above all else, PRACTICAL. The costume features Harley sporting two loose, two-toned braids, one black and one red, patchwork leggings, a sports bra, a cropped long-sleeve hoodie, fingerless gloves, a belt, and chunky combat boots. It's obvious that Nakayama has been studying up on Gen Z fashion, and his execution of bringing this style to Harley Quinn is flawless. Harley Quinn #71 from DC Comics will be available on February 24, 2027!