There has been no censorship of Harley Quinn.
Well, kind of. The edited broadcast cable version of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was accidentally uploaded to HBO Max, causing outcry on Twitter about changing the film and setting a bizarre precedent. Warner Bros. confirmed to IGN that this was an unintentional mishap and the original will return.
How can you tell if a program has been edited with HBO Max? A disclaimer immediately greeted HBO Max users who launched Birds of Prey over the holiday: “This film has been edited as follows from its original version: it has been edited for content.”
You might also see images like this:
HBO Max replaces the R-rated version of #BirdsofPrey with a censored cut that's been "edited for content."
The censored version removes explicit language and visual jokes, like replacing Harley Quinn giving the middle finger with a two-fingered gesture. https://t.co/5syu6g4ozS pic.twitter.com/rrQaAmyg0J
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) November 26, 2021
ComicBook.com notes that this has appeared with other movies and streaming services, such as with a TV version of Back to the Future II found on Netflix. That can at least provide some comfort while we wait for our R-rated chaos queen to return home. Watch the excellent Harley Quinn animated series if you can’t wait. It’s also on HBO Max and definitely isn’t censored.