When James Gunn announced the ambitious DC Studios film slate that he and co-CEO Peter Safran were working on, people were largely not shocked to find out it was more of a full reboot. A new Superman, a new Batman, etc… For fans and people who keep up with superhero film universes, this made sense. But for Chris Pine, who starred in the “Wonder Woman” franchise under the previous regime at Warner Bros., it was shocking. Why would Gunn and Safran purposefully start over when you had a billion-dollar franchise?
READ MORE: Patty Jenkins Says DC Studios Is Not Interested In Making A New ‘Wonder Woman’ Film
In a new interview with Business Insider, Chris Pine explained his shock when he saw that the “Wonder Woman” franchise would be killed off in light of Gunn and Safran’s greater DC Studios plans. To the actor, the idea of starting over when you had such a popular franchise seemed ludicrous.
“I’m stunned that they said no to a billion-dollar franchise and decided to pivot elsewhere,” Pine said. “I don’t know what the reasoning was behind that; it’s above my pay grade, but Wonder Woman is an incredible character. Patty [Jenkins] is such a thoughtful director.”
That said, there have been some comments from folks like “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot that would make it seem like her version of the character could still exist. But as time goes on, it has become more clear that the new DCU is a real reboot.
As for whether or not Chris Pine would return if there was an actual “Wonder Woman 3,” the actor is clearly done with the franchise. His character died at the end of the first film and was brought back with magic during the sequel. But it would appear the actor is truly ok with leaving all of that behind.
“Me. No. Homie is dead. Steve is gonzo,” Pine said. “It would be ridiculous to try to bring me back.”
We still don’t have a lot of information about what Gunn and Safran have planned for the character of Wonder Woman in the DCU. There was a TV series announced that follows the lives of the Amazons, taking place in a time before Diana, aka Wonder Woman, exists. But we haven’t gotten much word about whether that is coming soon or still a ways off.