HBO Max's Wonder Twins Just Cast Two Big Yellowstone: 1883 And Riverdale Stars
DC fans were introduced to Zan and Jayna — collectively known as the Wonder Twins — in the late 1970s as a part of the "All-New Super Friends" hour. Throughout the series, they and their monkey-like alien pet, Gleek, joined established heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman in helping make the world a safer place, using their oddly specific skillsets to rescue helpless civilians and provide viewers with a valuable life lesson in the process. Meanwhile, they made a handful of small appearances on the pages of DC Comics, ultimately paving the way for them to enter the DC Universe proper by the mid-1990s.
In the decades since their arrival on the superhero scene, the Wonder Twins have struggled to remain in mainstream pop culture. Their presence in print is sporadic, and they've made even fewer cameos on the small screen, hence why they're rarely talked about in the same breath as DC's heavy-hitters. Nevertheless, they remain an ironically memorable, albeit campy, part of the publisher's hero roster, and thanks to writer Mark Russell's 2019 miniseries centered on the extraterrestrial sibling duo, it appears as though there's a strong desire to turn them into popular, bankable characters.
For more evidence of this initiative, look no further than the Wonder Twins movie that's on its way to the HBO Max streaming service, which has just cast its leads.
KJ Apa and Isabel May will activate their Wonder Twin powers
As revealed by The Wrap on April 15, 2022, "The Wonder Twins" has found its stars in KJ Apa and Isabel May, who will portray Zan and Jayna, respectively. For those unfamiliar, Apa is best known for his work on The CW's "Riverdale" as Archie Andrews and his appearances in other productions such as "I Still Believe" and "Songbird." Meanwhile, May took on the prominent role of Elsa Dutton on the "Yellowstone" spin-off, "1883," and featured heavily on "Young Sheldon" and "Alexa & Katie" as well. Adam Sztykiel, the writer of 2022's "Black Adam," will write and direct.
For the time being, details about the project are under lock and key, aside from reports that it'll take on a more comedic tone as opposed to a straightforward, action-oriented one. Filming aims to kick off in Atlanta, Georgia, in a few months, adding yet another title to Warner Bros. and HBO Max's already packed DC slate. "The Wonder Twins" joins the Leslie Grace-led "Batgirl" movie, several off-shoot shows that take place in the world of director Matt Reeves' "The Batman," the second season of James Gunn's streaming hit "Peacemaker," and more.
As production revs up on "The Wonder Twins," hopefully, more information about the now-KJ Apa and Isabel May-led film will come to light. At any rate, though, these castings are a huge step in the right direction, and it stands to reason that Apa and May will do the legacy of one of DC's most memeable teams proud.