INSTAGRAM LIVE AMA RECAP: PATRICK SCHUMACKER AND JUSTIN HALPERN TALK WHAT’S IN STORE FOR HARLEY QUINN SEASON 3

Harley Quinn premiered its first two seasons to critical reception on WarnerMedia’s now-defunct DC Universe streaming service before merging their shows to HBO Max. Now that it’s entering its third season as a proper HBO Max Original, showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern took to Instagram Live for an AMA session that gave the fans the inside scoop on what’s in store for the show. While there were some natural moments of comedic chaos, the nearly forty-minute AMA gave plenty of spoiler-free takeaways for eager viewers to chew over.

One of the biggest points of interest is the roster of guest characters returning to the series and being introduced. Nora Fries (Rachel Dratch – Duncanville; 30 Rock), Batman ( Diedrich Bader – Better Things) and Joker (Alan Tudyk – Doom Patrol; Resident Alien ) are set to return and we’ll encounter other characters voiced by a star-studded cast- Music Meister ( Larry Owens – A Strange Loop; Search Party), Swamp Thing (Sam Richardson – Detroiters; I Think You Should Leave), and Nightwing (Harvey Guillen – What We Do in the Shadows; Human Resources). Although they didn’t divulge much about how these characters play into the show’s canon, they did mention that their take on Nightwing “is based on a specific version” and referenced the Nightwing ‘79 comic as an influence.

The showrunners revealed that the next season will consist of ten episodes that follow Harl-Ivy’s Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour and answer all your leftover questions about Kiteman following his break up with Poison Ivy as he moves on to a new “special someone” within the first three episodes. When asked about their favorite episode from the lineup, Patrick Schumacker specified episode 308. While avoiding any heavy spoilers, it was explained that we dive into Bruce’s mind where the writers make light of different versions of Batman through the ages.

Fans of both the show’s inherent dark humor and Batman: The Animated Series will be in for a special treat as the showrunners told fans that the original animated series will have a heavy presence within the story. Most notably, much of the episode’s background art will be pulled directly from the nineties cartoon and pieces of that theme will be heard within the score as they wanted that as the aesthetic of Bruce’s psyche. There will also be an abundance of jokes based on Thomas and Martha Wayne’s murder and how that affected the Caped Crusader.

Schumacker made a point to mention that the season will include “lots of songs.” This coincides with the rumor that there will be a musical as one of the episodes showcases Music Meister using his powers in a therapeutic role to help Batman and Catwoman express their troubled feelings to each other through song. Joker will also have a standalone episode that will feature the song “Wait’ll You Get a Load of Us” that gives him the aforementioned “through the ages” treatment. At the end of the Instagram Live AMA, they finished by reassuring fans that there wouldn’t be any angsty couple drama nor a Harl/Ivy breakup.

Harley Quinn seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on HBO Max.