Black Mask wants Harley Quinn dead in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), with a few possible explanations as to why. Following the events of 2016’s Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn has taken a bold new direction in life as well as her characterization in the DC universe. She’s split from The Joker and is living life on her terms, for better or worse. Now on her own, it appears she has caught the eye of Roman Sionis, better known as the villainous Black Mask.

In the most recent trailer for Birds of Prey, Harley mentions how ever since she and “Mr. J” split up, all of the leading villains in Gotham want her dead more than anything. Topping the list is the narcissistic crime lord Black Mask, who will be making his DCEU debut in the film, as well as his first ever live-action appearance. Though the exact reasons are unclear as to why he wants to take out the former Dr. Harleen Quinzel, there have been subtle hints dropped during the marketing.

For one, Sionis may have a conflict of interest with Quinn as far as his “business” is concerned. One of the prevailing theories is that his hatred for Harley stems from her willingness to protect Cassandra Cain, who has been targeted by Black Mask with a high bounty on her head. Whatever quarrel he may have with Cain is surely only complicated by Quinn, who seeks to take him out alongside Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya. However, Black Mask has specific reasons for targeting the others - which is what leads to the team up in Birds of Prey - so there’s likely more to the story of why he wants to kill Harley too.

Perhaps her split from Joker has led to his previously established hot temper making it harder for Gotham criminals to work with the Clown Prince of Crime. Jared Leto’s version of the character, seen in Suicide Squad back in 2016, is one of Gotham’s most successful and powerful crime lords. At the same time, he was characterized as being incredibly protective over Harley, to the point of obsession. For her to ditch him, releasing his grip on her, would surely send him into an insane rage. Their breakup is one of the key pieces of the film, Joker even referenced on Birds of Prey’s soundtrack. If Black Mask has any connection to Joker in this universe is unknown, but anyone dealing with Joker in this state must be having difficulties right now, and taking out Harley Quinn might be an attempt to appease him.

Similarly, there may have been some past animosity between Black Mask and Harley Quinn that has yet to be divulged. All those years of being protected by Joker and his massive sphere of influence has kept Harley safe from harm; as famously said by Amanda Waller, “God help anyone who dared to disrespect his queen.” The criminal underworld of Gotham City could have been chomping at the bit for years to get their hands on Harley, and now is the best time to do so. She’s lost her immunity, and Black Mask, Victor Zsasz, and their villainous peers may be trying to take advantage of that as soon as possible in the name of past wrongdoing.

With a little under a month until Birds of Prey hits theaters, fans will be left to ponder why Black Mask has such a strong hatred for Harley Quinn to the point of wanting to see her dead. This will prove to be no easy task as there are many moving parts to this film. With new characters being introduced and the role they will play appearing hazy for the time being, there is plenty of speculation to be had on all fronts.

Next: Who Is Harley Quinn? Margot Robbie’s DC Character Origins Explained

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