A Wonder Woman spin-off from James Gunn's original DCU slate has reportedly been abandoned. HBO Max series Paradise Lost was among the ten DCU projects announced by Gunn as part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters in January 2023. From that slate, Creature Commandos and Superman already released, Supergirl and Lanterns are coming this year, The Brave and the Bold is being written, and four more projects are officially facing challenges at DC Studios.
In a recent episode of the Geek Buddies podcast, John Rocha stated that writers who had delivered pitches for Paradise Lost to DC Studios have been informed that the Wonder Woman spin-off is "dead" and seemingly cancelled.
Having omitted Wonder Woman from the original DCU Chapter 1 slate, Paradise Lost was placed to be a Game of Thrones-inspired HBO Max series "about the political intrigue behind a society of all women." Notably, the project would have taken place before Wonder Woman's birth, diving into the society's origins.
DC Studios never confirmed any writers or creatives for Paradise Lost, although Nexus Point News reported that Kira Snyder (The Handmaid's Tale) and Janet Lin (Bridgerton) were circling the series in July 2024.
Updates on Paradise Lost have been scarce, although Gunn declared in October 2024 that, "Yes," there had been progress on the Wonder Man spin-off show.
While Paradise Lost never officially found its writer, at least not publicly, DC Studios confirmed in July 2025 that Supergirl scribe Ana Nogueira will pen the DCU's Wonder Woman reboot that will replace Gal Gadot in the leading role.
Just last August, Gunn promised that both Wonder Woman and Paradise Lost were "still going down the road" while hyping up the DCU projects that were the furthest into development. That would seemingly indicate that the DC Trinity hero's solo project didn't immediately replace the HBO Max series as some speculated.
When Will the DCU's Wonder Woman Movie Happen?
From the beginning of DC Studios, many fans were confused why the DCU would release a Paradise Lost prequel exploring the origins and people of Themyscira before introducing Wonder Woman herself. The reasons behind the spin-off's cancellation are uncertain, as DC Studios has yet to comment on the report, but it's possible that James Gunn came to the same realization as fans.
DC Studios has faced some criticism for prioritizing projects starring more obscure characters such as Jimmy Olsen, Mister Miracle, Peacemaker, and the Creature Commandos before introducing the blue brand's major players.
Fortunately, the DCU's Trinity may finally be coming together, as Christina Hodson is attached to pen Batman's debut, The Brave and the Bold, Ana Nogueira is writing for Wonder Woman, and Gunn himself is preparing to direct Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow for release next year.
In terms of when the DCU's Wonder Woman will grace screens, that's tough to say as the movie remains in the writing stage. However, Nogueira wrote one of the DCU's first and fastest scripts to get greenlit with this year's Supergirl, which ought to raise hope that the Amazonian warrior's solo outing may move quickly.
The DCU's new Wonder Woman will explore a "lighter, brighter, more fun side" of the character than Gal Gadot's DCEU incarnation when she debuts in the fast-tracked reboot, perhaps following in a similar comic-booky vein to Superman.
I's entirely possible that Wonder Woman could plant a flag in 2028, where DC Studios currently has no live-action movies set. Of course, the DCU's many delays have proven that nothing is guaranteed in Hollywood, and development may stall, but there is a real chance that Wonder Woman could be cast this year or next.
Perhaps, once the Justice Leaguer himself has graced screens, DC Studios may revisit Paradise Lost and deepen the DCU's Amazonian lore on HBO Max.
