It’s Officially The End Of An Era For Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman

Gal Gadot has officially confirmed the end of an era for her iteration of Wonder Woman. The actress first portrayed Diana Prince in Zack Snyder's crossover epic, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, then went on to headline a solo Wonder Woman film in 2017, which grossed over $820 million at the box office, a feat no other Wonder Woman film has been able to achieve. Gadot last portrayed the character in the highly criticized The Flash in 2023 and hasn't returned afterward.

Since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios as co-CEOs, many have wondered if Gadot would be brought back as Wonder Woman, but the actress has finally put the speculation to rest. While promoting her new Prime Video thriller, The Runner, she told ScreenRant she was grateful for "the opportunity to wear her boots":

"This is such an incredible character that so many of us care about so much, so whoever it's going to be to portray her, I wish for her that she enjoys this amazing ride with this amazing character. And I'm just grateful that I was granted the opportunity to wear her boots and celebrate this incredible character and everything she stands for."

Gadot speaking about Wonder Woman in the past tense and wishing the next actress well all but confirms she's not returning. She also revealed she hasn't had any recent discussions with Gunn or DC Studios about coming back, either as Diana or in a different role, the route Jason Momoa took when he transitioned from Aquaman to Lobo. This isn't the biggest surprise, given that the actress has recently shown a lack of enthusiasm for reprising the role.

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she revealed the studio's initial plans for her and the character, but admitted that "the way everybody else was handled" deterred her:

"No, they told me the opposite. They were like, 'We're going to develop it with you, the third [movie].' But I saw the way everybody else [was] handled... The Henry [Cavill] situation was not handled elegantly, to say the least. Same with Patty [Jenkins]."

There were plans for Patty Jenkins to complete her trilogy with Gadot returning as Diana; however, those plans were shelved by Warner Bros. in 2022. Even after that film collapsed, Gadot mentioned in 2023 that Gunn and Safran had shared plans to develop a third film with her, which of course never came to fruition.

What Does Wonder Woman's Future Under DC Studios Look Like? 

Many DC fans have been looking forward to Wonder Woman's return, but the DCU's plans for Diana Prince look thinner than they were when Gunn and Safran unveiled the studio's 10-year slate in January 2023. 

Paradise Lost, the prequel series set in Themyscira that was dubbed the DCU's version of Game of Thrones, is no longer in active development at the studio, which leaves fans with only the theatrical Wonder Woman film currently in the works.

Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira is the scribe penning the script for the film. Apart from a confirmed writer, nothing significant has been officially revealed. There's no release timeline or director, and no actress has been cast in the role. 

The film doesn't seem like it will arrive anytime soon, and with Supergirl performing woefully at the box office, opening to just $38 million domestically, DC Studios might be tempted to hold off on another female-led film for a while.

However, Man of Tomorrow might offer a glimmer of hope for DC fans wishing to see Diana in live-action again, although it seems a bit unlikely. Adria Arjona joins the cast of the Superman sequel, and there's reason to suspect she's playing Diana. 

Her role remains officially undisclosed, and while Deadline initially reported she was playing Maxima, Gunn publicly called that reporting "shoddy & incorrect."

The secrecy DC Studios has shrouded the role in leaves room to believe it's a big one. Maxima is a bit obscure in the eyes of general audiences, which makes hiding the role strange and gives credence to rumors that she's playing Wonder Woman instead. That being said, the Wonder Woman talk hasn't been confirmed and remains a rumor for now.