HBO Max's Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special - What We Know So Far
Harley Quinn and Valentine's Day. It's a blend so perfectly chaotic that it just has to work. Beginning in 2019, HBO Max's hit adult animated dark comedy superhero series, "Harley Quinn," has given fans the chance to experience a newer, more wild and emotional side of the popular Batman villain than we've ever seen before. The show has proven extremely popular as a result, running for three seasons so far with a fourth one on the way (via TVLine). Additionally, the series has raked up its fair share of award wins and nominations from Critic's Choice events and the Annie Awards (via IMDb). While other DC Universe and Warner Brothers projects have been struggling under the weight of the numerous changes and cancelations being made by new Warner Brothers Discovery CEO David Zaslav (via Deadline), "Harley Quinn" has been able to not only survive but thrive. Along with their upcoming fourth season, the beloved animated series will be birthing its first-ever holiday special, "Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special."
"Harley Quinn" has not only been acclaimed for its fun and raunchy humor and set of characters, but also for its honest handling and depiction of LGBTQ+ themes. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy's (Lake Bell) relationship was able to hit full stride with the third season, showcasing the good, the bad, and the ugly of their dynamic. What will Valentine's Day hold for them? Let's see what we know so far about their upcoming special and find out.
What is the plot of Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special?
The description from HBO for "Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" says that it will, "feature Harley and Ivy celebrating their very first Valentine's Day together, while also revealing how the rest of the ragtag crew spends the gushiest, mushiest, most romantic day of the year." The special will bridge the third and the upcoming fourth season of the show, so it will be interesting to see how it handles the relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy. The third season saw Poison Ivy essentially get promoted to co-star, as the show's creators chose to fully embrace their relationship following the previous two seasons (via AV Club).
Throughout the third season, we got to see their personalities play off each other to a greater extent than ever before, with Harley's kooky, off-the-wall personality and unpredictable nature bouncing off of Poison Ivy as the straight-laced one in the relationship. This brought with it a rich layer of complexity, as we got to see the dynamic duo go through numerous highs and lows throughout the course of their relationship. So seeing how they will fare during the most romantic time of the year has us intrigued, to say the least. Topping it off, watching Harley's gang of friends and the rest of Gotham celebrate Valentine's Day certainly ensures that we are in for a good time.
Who is starring in Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special?
Unsurprisingly, "Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" will see the return of the adult animated show's cast of stellar voice talent. This includes series regulars such as Kaley Cuoco as Harley Quinn, Lake Bell as Poison Ivy, Matt Oberg as Killer Croc and others, and Alan Tudyk as Clayface, The Joker, and others. There will also be other recurring characters featured such as James Wolk as Superman, Natalie Morales as Lois Lane, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, James Adomian as Bane, Rachel Dratch as Nora Fries, Chris Diamantopoulos as Aquaman, Jim Rash as the Riddler and Michael Ironside as Darkseid. Additionally, the special will also feature the voices of Tyler James Williams ("Abbot Elementary"), Janet Varney ("The Legend of Korra"), Leila Birch ("Mr. Peabody and Sherman"), Josh Helman ("X-Men: Days of Future Past") and Casey Wilson ("Gone Girl"), according to Animation Magazine.
Some names not included in the special, however, include Diedrich Bader as Batman, Sanaa Lathan as Catwoman, or Cathy Ang as Kite Man's girlfriend, Golden Glider. The show's creators have previously commented on how hesitant they have been to overdo Batman's appearances on the show (via AV Club) while Sarah Peters, showrunner for Season 4, was told that she was not allowed to use Batman at all (via Entertainment Tonight). Kiteman fans, on the other hand, can sleep well knowing that the lovable loser and his girlfriend will be starring in their own upcoming spinoff series (via Variety).
What's the release date of Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special?
"Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" will be released on HBO Max in February 2023. This was confirmed by the show's official Twitter account on October 7, 2022. The post, which also features the first image from the special showing Harley and Ivy going out to dinner, features the colorful caption, "I need a new pair of shorts because @hbomax just announced we're getting a VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL! It's coming out February 2023 and I need to figure out what to WEAR, what to get MY VALENTINE and what we're going to EAT!" The special will be featured before the show's upcoming fourth season (via TV Line), though it is unknown when exactly the fourth season is set to premiere on the streamer.
While there has been no announcement as of yet as to who will be directing the special, we do know that it will be produced by Kaley Cuoco's production company Yes, Norman Productions, alongside Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions and in association with Warner Bros. Animation. Cuoco, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Dean Lorey, Jennifer Coyle, and Sam Register will executive produce the project.