Wonder Woman's Movie Future May Be Dead - For Now
The fate of several DC Extended Universe roles have been in flux since James Gunn started rebooting the characters into the DC Universe. The movies Gunn and Peter Safran have announced confirm that Superman (now played by David Corenswet) and Batman — a new one, since Robert Pattinson's Batman won't appear in the DCU — will be a part of the live-action movies going forward. This leaves only one member of DC's "big three" in limbo. Despite appearing in seven DCEU movies, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman has been conspicuously absent from upcoming plans. And now, "Wonder Woman" and "Wonder Woman 1984" director Patty Jenkins has confirmed that fans aren't about to see any version of the character in the DCU any time soon.
In an interview with Max's "Talking Pictures" podcast, Jenkins said the hero doesn't have a place in Gunn and Safran's first DCU wave. "They aren't interested in doing any 'Wonder Woman' for the time being," the filmmaker revealed. "It's not an easy task with what's going on with DC. James Gunn and Peter Safran have to follow their own heart into their own plans. I don't know what they are planning on doing or why, so I have sympathy for what a big job it is, and they have to follow their heart and do what they've got planned."
Jenkins' comments mean that the next Wonder Woman solo movie will likely be a long time coming, and the same applies to the next time we'll see Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman share the screen. However, the Themyscira-themed "Paradise Lost" DCU TV series Gunn and Safran announced is set to take place before Diana's birth, so who knows? Perhaps it will be the platform that eventually introduces her to the DCU.
Does Wonder Woman have a future in the DCU?
The first news of "Wonder Woman 3" being scrapped emerged in late 2022. Nevertheless, the character maintained a considerable presence in the DCEU, thanks to her cameos in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" and "The Flash." Gal Gadot later stated in 2023 that "Wonder Woman 3" may be happening after all. However, all DCU evidence — not to mention Patty Jenkins' comments — points toward the fact that Wonder Woman won't be returning in the foreseeable future. What's more, if the Superman recast is any indication, we'll likely see a new actor playing Diana of Themyscira when she eventually reappears.
This means that within the span of just a few years, Wonder Woman has gone from DC Studios' most critically appreciated big-screen hero to being seemingly absent from future plans. There's no doubt that she will eventually rise again, but as it stands, fans shouldn't be holding their breath to see her any time soon.
Even so, there may be a rough timeline for Diana's potential reemergence thanks to a response James Gunn posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) regarding claims that Wonder Woman won't appear in the first three years of the DCU. "I hereby debunk it (only because it's not true)." Gunn wrote. Provided that his statement can be taken at face value, it means that we will see Diana in some way, shape, or form within the next few years. Whether it's a quick cameo or a larger role remains to be seen, but even then, it will likely take some time for her to rise to the same level of prominence she holds in the DCEU.