With a highly anticipated third season on the way and a spinoff in the works, the Harley Quinn animated series has proven to be a hit among fans and critics alike. So with the vast DC Universe in mind, it's natural to discuss and speculate about who should play live-action versions of the characters.
The voice actors of the series have done a stellar job in the animated series, but there is no denying that some of the roles could also be bought to life just as well by a live-action actor. It's worth noting that, in one or two cases, perhaps the original actor who voiced their character in the animated series is also best to play them in live-action as well.
Queen Of Fables - Loni Love
Appearing in season 1, the Queen of Fables is a supervillainess who harnesses the power of a magical storybook to have fairy tale characters do her bidding. She starts off as a mentor and friend for Harley but soon ends up as one of her adversaries
The Queen of Fables is a strong character who requires a powerful actor to pull this off. One particularly great comedian and actor who could handle the role is Loni Love. While she doesn't have as many acting credits to her name, Love certainly has the gravitas and the comedy chops to pull off the Queen of Fables.
Sy Borgman - Danny DeVito
One of the best-designed characters in the series, geriatric Sy Borgman is Poison Ivy's landlord who later becomes a surprisingly invaluable part of Harley's crew. Although he sacrifices himself in season 2, he lives on through machinery and will hopefully be around for season 3.
The elderly cyborg is crudely hilarious yet shows to genuinely care for Harley, and there's perhaps no other actor more fitting to capture this than Danny DeVito. Looking through his various starring roles, especially Frank in Hercules, DeVito could easily capture Sy's crankiness, hilarious lack of filter, and heart of gold in a live-action version of the show.
Commissioner Gordon - David Harbour
Commissioner Gordon is a key role in any Batman product, and he also plays a key role in the Harley Quinn series. In this series, Gordon is depicted as strained and tragi-comic, driven to the edge by his stressful job, his crumbling marriage, and his yearning for Batman's friendship.
Netflix subscribers may note a few similarities between this version of Gordon and another fictional law enforcer. Jim Hopper from Stranger Things (played by David Harbour) turns from an alcoholic sheriff to a caring father and fighter, much like Gordon does. It is not only this role that would make Harbour a great Commissioner Gordon. His lead roles such as Hellboy and Red Guardian give him that flawed anti-hero energy that Gordon ultimately acquires.
Joker - Bill Hader
A series focusing on Harley Quinn's fresh start would not be complete without her ex-boyfriend, the Joker. He serves as Harley's main antagonist in the first season, not only as her abusive ex but as a rival for being Gotham's top supervillain.
There have been a number of fantastic portrayals of the Joker in live-action. But to fit this particular portrayal of Joker, a good fit would be Bill Hader. With credits such as Fear in Inside Out and his big break on Saturday Night Live, Hader could capture not only that wild and manic energy of the Joker that everyone knows but also this version of Joker's obnoxious attitude, and keep him hilariously loathsome.
Kite Man - Chris Pratt
Slightly dim-witted D-list villain Kite Man turned out to be a pleasant surprise for fans of the show, so much so that he's getting his very own spinoff series. Having ended his relationship with Poison Ivy in the season 2 finale, fans will look forward to seeing his misadventures in both season 3 and the spin-off.
Kite Man is a lovable and warm-hearted himbo and Chris Pratt could be a good choice to capture that likeness. Pratt is no stranger to action hero roles, such as The Lego Movie could be perfect for portraying Kite Man. Also, it's easy to imagine Pratt saying Kite Man's signature catchphrase, "Hell yeah!"
Dr. Psycho - Peter Dinklage
Telepathic Dr. Psycho ended up ing Harley's crew after being kicked out of the Legion of Doom due to calling Wonder Woman the c-word. His rude sarcasm and (deservedly) being the butt of slapstick humor have led to him being one of the funniest characters in Harley Quinn.
Most renowned for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Cyrano, Peter Dinklage would be a good choice to capture Dr. Psycho due to his dry sense of humor, energy, and charisma. Dinklage is a versatile actor and can easily make what should be a comically loathsome character lovable, just like Dr. Pyscho.
King Shark - Craig Robinson
King Shark didn't the series until episode 4 in season 1 but he was very quick to win over fans with his wholesome personality and warm demeanor towards his peers. Whilst an effective killing machine, he would much rather be used for his technical skills in villainous schemes.
A great choice for fan-casting a live-action King Shark for Harley Quinn would be Craig Robinson, who fans will recognize as Darryl from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Robinson not only has the comedic skills to fit the show's humor but can easily portray King Shark's gentle and lovable good nature.
Clayface - Sir Ian McKellen
Clayface is normally an extremely tragic character but Harley Quinn transformed Clayface into a larger-than-life aspiring actor with a very positive demeanor. His zealous dedication to his disguises often both helps and hinders whatever scheme Harley has planned, with hilarious results.
Whilst keeping Alan Tudyk would be just as great, another excellent choice for a fan-cast live-action reboot would be actor Sir Ian McKellen. The Lord of the Rings actor would make a great Clayface not just for his ability to play commanding characters but his experience as a stage actor could add more hilarity and depth to the wannabe acting star.
Poison Ivy - Lake Bell
Poison Ivy is Harley's best friend and later romantic love interest. Misanthropic and introverted to hide a vulnerable side, Harley Quinn's version of Poison Ivy is one of the best and most refreshing versions of the character to date.
This version of Poison Ivy is not the most villainous so another option from Reddit's choices for Poison Ivy for a The Batman sequel would need to be considered. Yet, fans would probably need to look no further than her original voice actor Lake Bell. As an accomplished screen actor with credits including The Practise and Bless This Mess, Bell already has the live-action experience, as well as already having Ivy portrayed absolutely perfectly.
Harley Quinn - Kaley Cuoco
Harley Quinn made her debut in the DC universe as a new character in Batman: The Animated Series and has become a star in her own right. Her eponymous animated series focuses on Harley as she strives to become a supervillain in her own right after her breakup with Joker.
Harley has been brought to life in live-action before by Margot Robbie. But in this instance, if the show were to get a live-action reboot, Harley could still be played by her original voice actress, Kaley Cuoco. With live-action experience, most notably in The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco already has the voice nailed down and could easily nail her physical mannerisms too.