James Gunn Confirms Wonder Woman Recasting and Exciting DCU Updates

In a significant development, Wonder Woman has undergone her most substantial transformation in quite some time, which is encouraging for her role in the future of the DC Universe. Actress Gal Gadot portrayed Diana Prince in the DCEU films, starring in two standalone movies and featuring in various other projects as supporting characters or cameos. Notably, Gadot’s Wonder Woman was featured in The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, two of the final four DCEU movies slated for release in 2023. However, despite intentions to bring her back to the series, plans for Wonder Woman 3 were shelved by DC as the new co-CEOs of DC Studios, James Gunn and Peter Safran, did not agree with Patty Jenkins’ proposed vision.

Ever since Jenkins stepped down from directing the franchise, Wonder Woman has been in a state of uncertainty in terms of live-action developments. Interestingly, Diana was not part of the DCU’s Chapter One, with Batman and Superman being the characters announced to have movies, while no news regarding Wonder Woman was shared. Instead, a prequel series titled Paradise Lost, focusing on the Amazons prior to Wonder Woman’s birth, is currently the only known project related to her character. However, this might be changing soon following a recent update.

Wonder Woman Will Be Recast For The New DC Universe

Gal Gadot Is Not Coming Back To The Big Screen As Wonder Woman

To date, the Wonder Woman from the DC Universe has made a single appearance. This wasn’t a full role, though, as she had a cameo with no dialogue in a vision of several heroes dying in a potential future within Max’s animated Creature Commandos series. Unlike other actors from the previous shared universe, Gal Gadot will not return to her DCEU role. Instead, her possible future in the DCU might resemble that of Jason Momoa, who departed Aquaman to play Lobo.

At first, the actress asserted that she had a conversation with Gunn and Safran regarding the plans for Wonder Woman 3 with her portraying Diana Prince. Yet, this was later disputed by various sources. Contrarily, a significant DCU report suggested that the entire cast from the 2017 Justice League has been replaced in their respective roles. Thus, when Wonder Woman is featured in the new DC Universe, she will be played by a different actress than Gal Gadot, and James Gunn has verified this on social media.

It’s intriguing how accessible Gunn is, as he frequently engages with fans on social media platforms, offering glimpses into his DCU plans and the paths he’s steering characters. In June 2024, Gunn addressed a fan’s query about the status of Wonder Woman on Threads. Despite speculation that she might feature in Creature Commandos with a particular actress portraying her, a fan wondered if it was premature to assume the role hadn’t been cast yet. Gunn confirmed this, stating, “Yes, indeed.” This suggests that Gadot may no longer be part of the project.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO Has Revealed The DCU’s Most Important Heroes

The New DC Universe Will Have Four Heroes As Its Stars

Lately, David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, discussed DC Universe’s future during their Q1 earnings call (as reported by ComicBookMovie). In his comments, Zaslav identified some key characters for James Gunn’s DC Universe that he believes can drive the franchise and generate profits over a 10-year period, benefiting investors. According to the executive’s remarks, David Corenswet as Superman, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman will serve as the cornerstones of this shared universe. Interestingly, three out of these four characters already have confirmed solo movies in development. Here’s the full quote:

(Provided quote)

It’s crucial for us to have the opportunity to market our content to external parties. However, upon examination of our catalog, there are numerous pieces that primarily serve Warner Bros. When considering the key characters that James Gunn and Peter Safran are working on with their 10-year plan for DC, these characters – such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and Supergirl – are particularly valuable to us worldwide. These characters are seen as substantial assets and distinct advantages in our global market expansion strategy.

Out of the four main characters in the DC Universe that David Zaslav calls “key contributors and distinctive elements“, only Wonder Woman doesn’t have a confirmed project to make her debut. Superman, played by Corenswet, is set for the first DCU movie, which will introduce Alcock’s Supergirl in a cameo before she takes center stage in “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” in 2026, having completed filming. The Batman movie, titled “The Brave and the Bold“, has a mystery writer collaborating with Gunn, but Wonder Woman is yet to get her own DCU film.

James Gunn Has Recently Shared A Positive Wonder Woman Update

Diana Prince’s DCU Future Has Finally Received A Significant Update

It appears that we’re getting closer than ever to finding out when Diana Prince will officially join the DC Universe, as indicated by James Gunn’s recent comments on his social media platform Threads. He revealed some updates about the DCU’s Wonder Woman that he can’t disclose publicly yet, but described them as “encouraging.” This is the first definite indication that a live-action return for Wonder Woman is being developed.

Initially, when rumors spread that Gunn and Safran weren’t collaborating with Gal Gadot on a potential Wonder Woman 3 following Patty Jenkins’ departure, it was suggested that no new Wonder Woman project was in the works at the studio. However, though Gunn does not explicitly confirm DC is developing a new Wonder Woman film, fans are thrilled to learn he’s planning Wonder Woman’s debut within the DC Universe. With actresses like Ana de Armas and Adria Arjona frequently mentioned as potential candidates for the role, the casting process can’t come soon enough.

I’m Convinced A Wonder Woman Movie Is Part Of The DCU’s Chapter One

James Gunn’s Comments About What’s To Come For The DCU Are Interesting

When the initial projects under DCU’s Chapter One were unveiled, Gunn hinted that there was still more to follow before we transitioned to Chapter Two. As stated by Gunn, the movies and series revealed in the franchise’s first phase represented only half of the DCU’s Chapter One. Given this information, along with the recent optimistic update about the progress on Wonder Woman, and David Zaslav’s claim that she will serve as a cornerstone of the DCU, I am optimistic that a Wonder Woman movie will be included in the DCU’s Chapter One.

It seems logical that Wonder Woman would also have her own film in the initial phase of the franchise, considering Batman, Superman, and Supergirl already do. The delay in revealing specific plans for Diana might be because DC needed to distance itself from the cancellation of Wonder Woman 3 first, and then present a fresh perspective on the character within the DC Universe. Now that sufficient time has elapsed, it’s possible that news about a solo Wonder Woman movie could surface soon.

2025-05-19 23:11