For years, we've wondered what the future holds for Wonder Woman. One of the most beloved superheroes of all time, Diana Prince had finally made a triumphant debut on the silver screen in Patty Jenkins' 2017 Wonder Woman, as part of the DC Extended Universe (she had previously appeared in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) but the dissolution of the DCEU and subsequent reboot in the upcoming DC Universe has left the character's fate uncertain - something that should never be the case for a character such as Wonder Woman.
She's part of DC's holy trinity after all. Superman is set to make his DCU debut in the James Gunn-directed Superman this summer (with David Corenswet starring as the Man of Steel) and the franchise has a plan for Batman in the planned The Brave and the Bold movie (not to mention Robert Pattinson's return in Matt Reeves' separate The Batman - Part II). But what about Wonder Woman?
Thankfully, DC Studios co-chairman and CEO James Gunn finally has some answers. However, it also appears to include the confirmation that the former Wonder Woman star won't return.
James Gunn confirms that a new actress will play Wonder Woman as he announces DC Universe reboot
James Gunn has officially confirmed that a new Wonder Woman movie is in development. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of the launch of July's Superman, the DC Studios co-chairman and CEO opened up about Diana Prince's impending return to the silver screen, confirming that they are currently working on bringing the Amazonian warrior to the DC Universe.
"We're working on Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman's being written right now."
But don't expect this to be the once-in-development-then-cancelled Wonder Woman 3 starring Gal Gadot, for Gunn also stated in the interview that a new actress had not yet been cast. But that in itself confirms that she will be cast at some point in time, and fans have taken that as official confirmation that the previous Wonder Woman story involving Gal Gadot is officially over. And honestly, that has been clear for some time.
Gadot made her DCEU debut in the aforementioned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 before then headlining 2017's Wonder Woman. The latter is considered among the greatest superhero movies ever made and it stabilized the DCEU franchise after a shaky start. Unfortunately Justice League, released that same year, harmed the franchise in a way it could never really recover from. Although Wonder Woman remained a shining light, the rest of the DCEU began to crumble.
Wonder Woman 1984 was released during the pandemic in 2020 and it performed well for the HBO Max streaming service. It wasn't as well-received by critics but its success on streaming (and solid pandemic numbers in theaters) led to an obvious greenlight for Wonder Woman 3. But that all changed when Gunn and Peter Safran took over, as Patty Jenkins' vision didn't match what they had in mind, and the film was officially cancelled.
There were early reports that Gal Gadot might return at some point for a new Wonder Woman movie (with even Gadot herself saying that there was still hope she might return) but it soon became clear that DC Studios was cleaning house and starting over. Gunn had also made some comments on social media that suggested recasting Wonder Woman was on the table and now it's official.
It may not have happened yet, but a new Wonder Woman will be cast in the DC Universe and speculation is already rife as fans theorize who it could be.