Adria Arjona Replaces Gal Gadot As Wonder Woman For James Gunn's DCU In Amazing Fanart
Actress Adria Arjona has become a well-known name thanks to her appearances in several fan-favorite franchises including "Emerald City," "Pacific Rim: Uprising," and "Morbius." More recently, she has gained recognition for her role as the hardworking mechanic Bix Caleen in the hit Disney+ "Star Wars" series "Andor." And now, one artist has realized Arjona as another beloved heroine who would seem right at home within the performer's catalog of characters.
In March 2023, artist @21xfour shared an impressive rendering on Instagram depicting Arjona as none other than DC superhero Wonder Woman, donning a similar costume as Gal Gadot's iconic portrayal from the DC Extended Universe. The artist created the image as part of a collaboration with the fan-run DC Universe news account @homeofdcu. "This is my series where I use my art and imagination to bring life to casting rumors and fan favorite castings that make their way online," the caption reads. "I was first introduced to @adriaarjona in the #StarWars series #Andor. Where she displayed not only a strong character but some of the most powerful emotion in the franchise. If she got the opportunity to portray #WonderWoman we could expect nothing less than greatness." This was the artist's third DC fan-cast illustration and completes their main DC trifecta alongside illustrations of Wolfgang Novogratz as Superman and Jensen Ackles as Batman. When it comes to Arjona as Diana Prince, though, it's fair to say that the artist is not the only one who's rooting for that casting decision.
Other fans are open to Arjona joining the DCU
While 21xfour's initial Adria Arjona Wonder Woman fan art only presents a half-body portrait, the artist further transformed the piece into full-body concept art on Instagram, this time with more comic-accurate touches to her clothing. The newly rendered piece received even more love than the previous illustration, with over 3,500 likes on Instagram alone and a multitude of positive comments.
The strong reactions not only stem from the impressive quality of the art but also from the casting decision itself. Arjona's star is rising, with upcoming projects putting her beside huge stars like Zoe Saldana and Glen Powell. And with that growing popularity, fans have expressed their interest in seeing her take on Wonder Woman in James Gunn and Peter Safran's newly rebooted DC Universe. In the subreddit r/DC_Cinematic, u/Almighty_Push91 said Arjona would make for a stellar choice, commenting, "I believe that Adria Arjona should be the new DCU Wonder Woman. [...] She has had rave reviews in Andor, overall, a good actress is 30, so young enough to continue a new franchise, and definitely looks the part." Others similarly latched on to the idea, such as u/1NeoBeast, who replied, "She would be fantastic as Wonder Woman," and u/davidfdm, who said, "I think that would be a great casting choice. She was great in 'Good Omens' as the modern witch."
At the moment, outside of the Themyscira-set prequel series "Paradise Lost," nothing has been announced regarding the DC Universe's plans with Wonder Woman. With all planned follow-ups to the Patty Jenkins "Wonder Woman" duology getting the axe and Gal Gadot reportedly no longer playing the character, the door is wide open for a fresh take of the fan-favorite heroine. And if the fans have anything to say about it, Arjona is worth taking a chance on.