Harley Quinn Season 5 Needs to Introduce the Joker’s Other Female Protege: Punchline

Season 5 is the perfect time to inject some new blood into the aging Harley Quinn series via Harley's comic book replacement Alexis Kaye, otherwise known as Punchline.

Origin of Punchline (Jokers New Sidekick)
Origin of Punchline (Jokers New Sidekick) | Variant Comics

The trailer for Harley Quinn season 5 is out, and in true Harley fashion, the new season looks like an over-the-top satire of the DC Universe sprinkled with a bit of the old ultra-violence and the show's usual bevy of quips and one-liners. As with the previous four seasons, season 5 is sure to introduce a slew of new characters plucked straight from the pages of various DC comic books. One such character we'd love to see make an appearance is Punchline, the Joker's former apprentice and current head of Gotham's Royal Flush Gang.

Gotham-City-Sirens-4-OTO-(Jeehyung-Lee)
Gotham City Sirens. Image courtesy DC Comics

Punchline — real name Alexis Kaye — was created in 2020 by writer James Tynion IV and artist Jorge Jiménez, as the "anti-Harley," someone as cold and calculating as Harley is loud and spontaneous. With the Joker returning to a life of crime last season there's no better time to give DC fans their first taste of an animated Punchline. The character could easily be introduced in a storyline where the Joker recruits Kaye as his "new and improved" Harley, instantly giving both women a reason to hate one another.

Punchline would hate living in the shadow of the Joker's ex and would make it her personal mission to destroy Harley Quinn by any means necessary. Meanwhile, Harley, while no longer harboring any romantic feelings toward the Joker, would despise the idea of being replaced by a younger, more ruthless version of herself. With that rivalry as the foundation, Punchline's story could branch out in any direction the writers chose to take it.

Heck, after a season or so of fighting, Punchline could discover that the Joker was manipulating her solely to get revenge on Harley Quinn leading to a team-up with her former enemy. Why not? Harley Quinn has shown repeatedly that she's not afraid to shake things up by going in a different direction than DC's comic book universe.

Aubrey Plaza at The Gothams
Dia Dipasupil/GettyImages

The Perfect Actress Is Currently Batting for the Other Team

As for who we'd like to see voice Punchline on Harley Quinn, there's only one actress who could truly do the character justice in an animated comedy: Aubrey Plaza. Plaza's deadpan delivery would be a perfect way to contrast Kaley Cuoco's overly expressive portrayal of Harley Quinn. Sure, Plaza is currently part of the MCU, but several actors have bounced back and forth between Marvel and DC, such as Ryan Reynolds, Frank Grillo, and even Captain America himself, Chris Evans. Switching teams for a non-canon voice roll shouldn't be too much of a problem for Plaza.

So what do you think? Would Punchline make a good addition to Harley Quinn season 5? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.