Contents
Summary
- The status of Wonder Woman 3 in the new DC Universe is uncertain, with conflicting reports and comments about Gal Gadot’s return to the role.
- Wonder Woman 1984 received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office, which raised doubts about the possibility of a third film.
- Gal Gadot confirmed that Wonder Woman 3 is in development and that she has the support of James Gunn and Peter Safran, but recent reports suggest that the film is not happening in the new DC Universe.
Whether Wonder Woman 3 is happening in the new DC Universe has become a complicated topic, with conflicting comments and reports regarding Gal Gadot’s return to the role of Diana Prince. Gal Gadot first played Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in what the first live-action theatrical appearance of the character. One of the most successful elements in Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman returned for her own solo film. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman (2017) was a commercial and critical success, and a sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, was released three years later. Gadot also played Wonder Woman in Justice League, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash.
Wonder Woman 1984, which was released during the pandemic under the same-day HBO Max drop strategy, bombed at the box office and received mixed reviews. However, it still seemed possible that Wonder Woman 3 would happen, especially because Gal Gadot continued to play the character in DCEU movie cameos. However, following the announcement that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios would craft a new DC Universe movie slate starting with a Superman reboot, Gadot’s future as Wonder Woman became unclear.
What Gal Gadot Has Said About Wonder Woman 3
After Gunn and Safran’s DC Studios was announced, Gal Gadot’s first comment on Wonder Woman 3 came to be in a Twitter post from December 6, 2022 (via @GalGadot). The actress shared an image from Wonder Woman (2017), celebrating the anniversary of her announcement as Wonder Woman and teasing that she could not wait to “share her next chapter” with fans. Only a day after, Variety reported that Patty Jenkins would not return for Wonder Woman 3 in the new DC Universe. Patty Jenkins later explained her exit on a Twitter post, saying that there was nothing she could do to “move anything forward,” as seen below:
The fact that Patty Jenkins was no longer returning for a third Wonder Woman movie placed a huge question mark on whether Wonder Woman 3 would even happen. In addition, it also cast doubt on whether Gal Gadot would play Diana Prince again in the new DC Universe. More recently, on August 2, 2023, Gal Gadot confirmed Wonder Woman 3 was in development (via Comicbook.com), saying “I heard from James and from Peter that we’re gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together.” In a different interview, this time for Flaunt Magazine, Gal Gadot reiterated that Gunn and Safran told her Wonder Woman 3 would be developed with her.
I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran [co-chairperson and CEO of DC alongside Gunn] 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.
Why Reports Are Contradicting Gadot on Wonder Woman 3
Gal Gadot’s recent comments on returning as Wonder Woman in DC Studios’ new DC Universe seemed enough confirmation that Wonder Woman 3 was happening. Still, it was unclear how a Wonder Woman threequel would fit into what is already a DC Universe reboot, with new versions of Superman and Batman confirmed for the new franchise. In addition, James Gunn or DC had yet to comment on Wonder Woman 3. Just a couple of hours after Gal Gadot’s most recent comment on Wonder Woman 3 was shared online, new reports contradicted the star. Both Collider and Variety reported that Wonder Woman 3 is not happening in the new DC Universe.
According to Collider, the Paradise Lost series is so far the only Wonder Woman-related project currently in development at DC Studios. Likewise, Variety’s sources claim that Gal Gadot was not promised anything regarding a return as Wonder Woman in the new DC Universe for Wonder Woman 3. With Gal Gadot specifically quoting what was allegedly said to her by the DC Studios’ CEOs regarding Wonder Woman 3, there are now two very different, contradicting versions of this story. Gadot has not made any comments regarding the recent reports that contradict her Wonder Woman 3 interviews. Likewise, neither James Gunn nor Peter Safran have commented on Gal Gadot’s recent interviews.
While there are reports on Wonder Woman 3 not happening in the new DC Universe, DC has yet to make any official comment regarding Wonder Woman 3. Given that Gal Gadot has quoted DC Studios’ CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran on a new Wonder Woman project happening for the DC Universe, the studio will eventually have to make some sort of announcement that makes things more clear. Many reasons could explain why Gal Gadot’s comments on Wonder Woman 3 are being contradicted by recent reports, but an official comment by someone at DC Studios would help end the speculation.
This could be a similar scenario to when Henry Cavill announced his return as Superman following Black Adam’s post-credits scene. Soon after Cavill posted an Instagram video announcing his return, a Superman movie reboot for James Gunn’s new DC Universe was announced. James Gunn explained the situation on Twitter, revealing that their plans for the new DC Universe would start with a younger Superman that would not be played by Cavill. Likewise, Gunn confirmed that the DC Universe’s Batman would be a new actor – not Ben Affleck or George Clooney. No similar explanation regarding Wonder Woman’s status in the DC Universe has been given since DC Studios was announced.
Could Wonder Woman 3 Still Happen?
It is still unclear which elements from the original DCEU will be kept for the new DC Universe, if any. This is why whether Wonder Woman 3 starring Gal Gadot can happen has become such a confusing topic. For example, Viola Davis will return as Amanda Waller, a role she has already played in three DCEU projects, in DC Studios’ Waller series. However, nothing guarantees that this version of Waller will be the same that appeared in Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. Likewise, Peacemaker season 2 is in development, but how that fits into the new DC Universe is unclear.
James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, which stars David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, means that the new DC Universe is a reboot. Similarly, The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman. As such, keeping the DCEU’s Wonder Woman when two other major DC characters have been recast could be confusing. That said, what will happen to Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash, both of which appeared in The Flash’s post-credits scene, is also unclear. The Flash was supposed to reset the DC Universe, yet George Clooney returning as Batman in the film’s new timeline made things way more complicated.
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman 3 could perhaps happen as an Elseworlds movie, similar to Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise and Todd Phillips’ Joker films. However, that would still risky making things confusing for general audiences, especially if a new Wonder Woman actor appears in a DC Universe project. There cannot be a DC Universe without Wonder Woman, meaning that whether Gal Gadot will reprise her role as Diana Prince in the new DC Universe will have to be revealed eventually. As of now, Superman and Batman have been recast for new movies and most of the announced DC Universe movies are centered on characters that didn’t appear in the DCEU.
The DC Universe’s OTHER Wonder Woman Project Explained
While Wonder Woman 3’s status remains confusing, the DC Universe has announced a Wonder Woman project. Paradise Lost is an upcoming DC Studios TV show centered on the Amazons. The series was originally described as a prequel, not necessarily to the DCEU’s Wonder Woman movies but to Wonder Woman’s character in general. Nothing has been said regarding how Paradise Lost ties into the DCEU’s Amazons, meaning that the upcoming series could be a reboot of Wonder Woman’s story in the new DC Universe. Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984, and both versions of Justice League all explored Themyscira and established pieces of lore that could be contradicted in the new show.
A project centered on the Amazons had been in development for the original DCEU following the success of Wonder Woman (2017). However, DC Studios’ Paradise Lost show seems to be a different project entirely, now set in the new DC Universe. If Gal Gadot is not returning for Wonder Woman 3 in the DC Universe, Paradise Lost will likely see the introduction of the franchise’s new Wonder Woman. By telling a story set before Wonder Woman comes to the world of men, Paradise Lost could slowly reintroduce elements from Wonder Woman’s mythos, paving the way for a new Diana Prince to be introduced in case a recast happens.
Source: Various.