The Witcher's Anya Chalotra Cast As Wonder Woman Villain In James Gunn's DCU (Report)
Although Henry Cavill won't be returning as Superman, his former co-star from "The Witcher," Anya Chalotra, has landed a role in James Gunn's new DC Universe.
It seems that the actor has signed on for Gunn's animated series "Creature Commandos." According to an update to her cover letter on the casting website Spotlight (pointed out by @bestofanyac on X, formerly known as Twitter), she'll play Circe, a villain associated with Wonder Woman in the comics. Chalotra is a breakout star from "The Witcher," playing Yennefer of Vengerberg in all three seasons so far of the Netflix fantasy series.
Chalotra joins the already stacked cast of "Creature Commandos," which includes Frank Grillo, Maria Bakalova, Alan Tudyk, David Harbour, and Viola Davis, and focuses on Amanda Waller (Davis) assembling a team of monsters. As the show kicks off DC's new on-screen universe, Gunn plans for his cast to play both animated and live-action versions of their characters. This means we could see Chalotra suit up against Wonder Woman in live-action. Another option would be an appearance in "Paradise Lost," a DCU TV series focusing on the island of Themyscira.
With Circe joining "Creature Commandos," Gunn holds true to his plans to give lesser-known DC characters the spotlight. Many may not be familiar with DC's enchantress, so let's take a closer look at the character.
Who is DC's Circe?
Since all signs point to Anya Chalotra bringing Circe to the DCU in "Creature Commandos," it only seems fitting to take a look at the villain's comic book history.
Circe made her DC Comics debut in 1949's "Wonder Woman" #37, where her knack for using magic to turn humans into animals became apparent. Although she's now one of Wonder Woman's most notable villains, she spent many years away from the Princess of Themyscira, fighting Superman, Supergirl, and other DC heroes. It wasn't until after DC's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 1985 that she returned to her roots. The universal reboot event refocused her attention on Wonder Woman, and she's been one of the hero's primary villains ever since.
As far as powers go, Circe primarily relies on her god-like magical abilities. She's one of DC's strongest spellcasters, using her magic to fly, shape-shift, alter reality, and make herself immortal. She's the leader of the Injustice League Dark, a team of magic-based supervillains, and as noted, is most known for transforming people into animal hybrids, which she calls her Ani-Men.
Outside of comics, Circe has had minor appearances in animated shows like "Justice League Unlimited" and "Justice League Action," where she was voiced by Rachel York and Laura Post, respectively. While "Creature Commandos" adds another animated appearance to the list, Chalotra's casting in the DCU has the potential to introduce the villain to live-action audiences.