There is still no set project for the DC Universe to debut its version of Wonder Woman, but the franchise's creative mastermind, James Gunn, has revealed a few details about this iteration of the character and her mythos. Wonder Woman led two solo films in the DCEU. After her second solo entry failed, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 was canceled, with director Patty Jenkins' story treatment getting turned down.
Wonder Woman did not get a project to lead when the DC Universe's Chapter One slate was unveiled. However, it is important to note that the announced projects make up less than half of Chapter One's slate, as per Gunn. While Diana Prince might take a couple of years to return to the big screen, the Wonder Woman prequel series Paradise Lost has been revealed. In the time since the first few DCU projects were announced, Gunn has shared more details about the DCU's Wonder Woman.
10Gal Gadot Will Not Play Wonder Woman
The DCU Is Moving On From The Star
|
Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman Movie |
Year |
|---|---|
|
Wonder Woman |
2017 |
|
Wonder Woman 1984 |
2020 |
|
Wonder Woman 3 |
Canceled |
The first and biggest Wonder Woman update is that Gadot will not return as Diana Prince in the DCU. That situation was murky for some time, with the DCEU actress having said that she would develop Wonder Woman 3 with DC Studios bosses Gunn and Peter Safran, only for reports to debunk it shortly after. The entire cast of the DCEU's Justice League is reportedly out for the DCU reboot.
Gunn has not directly said that Gadot is not coming back. While the director did have talks with her after he joined DC Studios, Gunn's comments related to Wonder Woman's role in the franchise have made it clear that a new actress will be cast in the role. In July, a fan asked Gunn whether it was safe to say that Wonder Woman had not yet been cast, to which he said, "Correct." If Gadot were to continue, there would not be a need for a new casting process.
9The Wonder Woman Actress Will Not Be Taller Than David Corenswet’s Superman
A Comic Book Height Difference Does Not Work For The DCU
More recently, Gunn got into the debate about superhero heights. Fans have long been commenting on whether an actor is fit for a superhero role based on their height matching the character's. Deadpool & Wolverine even made fun of that debate by showing a comic book-accurate short Wolverine variant, making it clear how different that would be from Hugh Jackman's take on the Marvel mutant.
In DC Comics, Wonder Woman has been depicted as being taller than Superman many times. However, that will not hold true for the DCU versions of the characters. On Threads, a fan asked Gunn what he thought about Superman always having to be taller than Batman and Wonder Woman taller than the Man of Steel. Gunn said it would not work for the DCU, as Superman star David Corenswet is 6'4", and Gunn does not see "where [he'd] find an accomplished and talented actress 6'5" or over."
8An Open Casting Call For Wonder Woman Is Unlikely
Accomplished Actresses Have A Bigger Shot At The Role
With Gal Gadot out, the DCU's Wonder Woman role is up for the taking. It might be interesting to have a lesser-known name as the character, ensuring that the new Diana Prince grows with the franchise. However, there will have to be a key factor to this, as it is highly unlikely that an open casting call will be put out for Wonder Woman.
On Threads, Gunn has commented about his experiences with open casting calls in the past. The director finds them difficult because the number of auditions is in the thousands, and "less than 0.1% of them are as good as the average actor" with an agent that comes in for the role. While talking about Wonder Woman's height in the DCU, Gunn mentioned "an accomplished and talented actress," which hits the point home that an established star will likely get the part.
7Wonder Woman Villain Circe Is In Creature Commandos
The DCU Found The Perfect Actress For The Role
At the moment, Gunn has yet to announce when Wonder Woman will be making her DCU debut. While the hero does not appear, the shared universe will be slowly setting the stage for Diana Prince's future role in the franchise. One of the key ways DC has planned to establish Wonder Woman's corner of the DCU is through characters from her comic book stories playing a role in multiple projects.
Surprisingly, the Wonder Woman villain Circe will appear in Creature Commandos. The project is the DCU's first, as the animated series is set to be released on December 5. A report revealed that The Witcher's Yennefer of Vengerberg actress Anya Chalotra was set to play Circe in the series. In January, Gunn confirmed the casting news. Recently, Gunn revealed that Chalotra auditioned for the role instead of being directly offered the part.
6James Gunn Debunked A Rumor That Wonder Woman Had Been Secretly Cast
The DCU Has A Firm Rule In Place When It Comes To Casting
With Circe set to play a role in Creature Commandos, rumors started to mount about Wonder Woman possibly appearing on the show. Names even started to fly around about who could be playing Wonder Woman in the animated series, though none were correct. The DCU's creative chief confirmed at the time that no actress had been cast as Diana, meaning she would not be playing a role in Creature Commandos.
As for Wonder Woman casting in general, it should take some time for the process to start. Diana still has no project announced for her debut. However, both Batman and Superman, the other members of DC's iconic Trinity, will join the DCU in their own movies. The same should be expected from Wonder Woman, and since Gunn has said that casting only starts after a script is ready, with no Wonder Woman film even announced at this point, getting a new actress for Diana is still some time away.
5Wonder Woman Will Debut Before The DCU’s First 3 Years Are Over
Fans Will Not Have To Wait Too Long For Wonder Woman's Return
The last time Wonder Woman appeared onscreen was in 2023. Last year, Gal Gadot made her final two appearances as Wonder Woman. Diana had a cameo role in The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Initially, Wonder Woman's role in The Flash would have been bigger, as a scene with Gadot's Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill's Superman, Michael Keaton's Batman, and Sasha Calle's Supergirl was cut from The Flash's ending due to the DCU reboot.
While Wonder Woman does not have an announced DCU project yet, Gunn confirmed on Twitter that Diana Prince will show up before the first three years of the new franchise are over, debunking a report from Variety that said the opposite. Creature Commandos starts the DCU this year, but with a December release, Gunn might be counting from 2025 onward. As such, Wonder Woman should come to the DCU by 2027 at the latest.
4Paradise Lost Will Not Feature Wonder Woman & Is Similar To Game Of Thrones
The Wonder Woman Prequel Series Is Ambitious
While Wonder Woman does not come around, the DCU team is hard at work crafting her mythos in the franchise. The Wonder Woman corner of the DCU will not only be set up by Circe's role in the animated Creature Commandos. The first wave of DCU projects includes a Wonder Woman prequel series. The live-action show is called Paradise Lost and will take place many years before Diana was born.
When announcing the show, Gunn described Paradise Lost as a Game of Thrones-like project that shows "all of the darkness, drama, and political intrigue behind this society of only women." The Wonder Woman prequel will be focused on the Amazons of Themyscira. Through the show, the DCU can set up what Themyscira looks like with stunning visuals, as well as establish its power dynamics and set up possible Greek mythology connections for the new Wonder Woman.
3The Wonder Woman Prequel Series Paradise Lost Has Not Yet Been Greenlit
There Are Different Stages To Production
Of all the announced projects for the DCU's Chapter One, only a few have either entered production, like Peacemaker, or finished it already, like David Corenswet's Superman movie and the animated Creature Commandos. Gunn recently took to Threads to explain the difference between a project being greenlit and in development. When scripts are looking for writers, being written, or rewritten, that means the project is in development.
When the scripts are in their final form and approved, that is when the project is greenlit by DC Studios and enters production. Gunn also confirmed that of the upcoming live-action projects, only Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and HBO's Lanterns series are already in pre-production. Paradise Lost, like the other announced DCU projects, remains in development. According to Gunn, projects in development might not all be made if they do not have great scripts in place.
2James Gunn Debunked A Wonder Woman Casting Rumor Involving An MCU Star
Gunn Has Plans For Marvel Stars In The DCU
Gunn has been very active on social media when it comes to debunking or confirming casting rumors. One of those is related to a Guardians of the Galaxy franchise star following Gunn from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the new DC Universe. Gunn debunked a rumor that he wanted Elizabeth Debicki to play Wonder Woman in the DCU.
Debicki played Ayesha, the mother/creator of Adam Warlock, in the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy movies. While Gunn noted that he enjoys working with Debicki, he said he never even thought about her for Wonder Woman. Although the Debicki rumor is false, the director does have plans to bring in actors from his Guardians of the Galaxy franchise to the DCU, with Gunn commenting multiple times about having roles in mind for stars like Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff.
1James Gunn Recently Confirmed Progress On Wonder Woman & Her Prequel
The Latest Update On Wonder Woman's DCU Status
Finally, after three months with no updates, Gunn has shared a positive update regarding Wonder Woman's DCU debut and the Paradise Lost prequel series focused on the Amazons. The director was asked whether there has been any progress on Paradise Lost or the Wonder Woman character. While Gunn did not provide any specific comments about either, he confirmed they are moving along, saying, "Yes."
As it is a TV series, Paradise Lost's release slot is flexible, so as soon as DC Studios approves scripts for the show, it can enter production and be ready for release not too long after. Wonder Woman's DCU debut is a different beast. If it comes in a solo movie as is expected, Wonder Woman should only arrive in 2027, as there is no way a Wonder Woman film could be ready by 2025, and 2026 already has two DC movies, with other announced projects waiting in the wings.
