DC fans have really been through the wringer in the last 12 months. There was recent hope for fans who loved the previous DC Extended Universe created by filmmaker Zack Snyder: Gal Gadot had teased that she and James Gunn—the new co-head of DC Studios—had discussed and maybe even confirmed a “Wonder Woman 3” film (a project that had been put on hold earlier this year when Gunn rejected filmmaker Patty Jenkins’ treatment).
READ MORE: ‘Wonder Woman’: Gal Gadot Has Talked With James Gunn & Peter Safran About A New Sequel
But now, sources tell Variety that this news is premature or even false. The trade says a third “Wonder Woman” film is not in development at DC Studios. Worse, Gunn and Peter Safran, the co-DC Studios head, have no plans at this time for any “Wonder Woman” project in the new DC Universe other than their previously announced “Paradise Lost” Amazonian prequel series for Max.
Gadot recently teased a new movie. “I love portraying Wonder Woman,” she said. “It’s so close to and dear to my heart. From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a ‘Wonder Woman 3’ together.”
Fans rejoiced at the news, but well, now we’re basically back to where we were: “Wonder Woman 3” is still on hold, and Gadot’s future as Wonder Woman is still up in the air.
In a recent Flaunt interview, Gadot echoed the same sentiment and excited fans. “I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran,” Gadot said, “And what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman— you’ve got nothing to worry about.’ So time will tell.”
Sources told Variety that nothing was promised to Gadot, so she may just be exaggerating what may have been simply a promising but non-definitive meeting.
Most of DC’s havoc started in the fall of 2022. Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” tanked, a Superman cameo from Henry Cavill didn’t help, and then Warner Bros. decided to clean house and hire Marvel filmmaker James Gunn (the “Guardians Of The Galaxy” series)—who had already directed DC’s “The Suicide Squad” and the TV series “Peacemaker”— to take over the DC Universe with the aforementioned Warner Bros. producer Peter Safran (who produced “Aquaman,” “Shazam” and more DC titles).
Gunn’s plans, while not definitive, have mostly suggested an entire house-cleaning of the old DC. His first move was canceling the return of Henry Cavill as Superman and announcing a new take on the Man of Steel called “Superman: Legacy” (which he will write and direct).
Furthermore, he and Safran revealed ten new projects in 2023 for the future of DC Studios—films like a new Batman & Robin film (“The Brave & The Bold”), “Swamp Thing,” TV projects like “Booster Gold”—and none of them contained members of the old DC Extended Universe cast, Jason Momoa as Aquaman or Gadot as Wonder Woman.
Not helping matters, Ezra Miller’s “The Flash” crashed and burned at the box office this year, not even hitting the $270 million mark worldwide despite Gunn and everyone else involved at Warner Bros. and DC Studios talking up the film.
Gunn made fairly disparaging remarks about “Wonder Woman 1984” at one point, which seemed to infuriate its director Patty Jenkins. DC Studios made it sound like she walked away from the project, but she clarified on Twitter shortly thereafter.
“I never walked away,” Jenkins shared in a post on Twitter. “I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now.”
Either way, Gal Gadot back as Wonder Woman in “Wonder Woman 3”? Put a pin in that and maybe realize that Gadot’s potentially exaggerated thoughts about her return and the press headaches it’s causing are likely not helping matters, or her case, over at DC.