While Gal Gadot's stint as Wonder Woman is already finished, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran offered high praise toward the 40-year-old DCEU actress. Gadot made her debut as Wonder Woman in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, helping the two titular heroes fend off an attack by Doomsday. Following her impactful debut, Gadot returned as the Amazonian warrior in four more DCEU projects, most notably two standalone movies (Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984), before appearing in her final stint as Wonder Woman in a cameo role in 2023's The Flash. It is unknown if Gadot will ever return as Wonder Woman, but new comments from one of DC Studios' bosses offered a silver lining to her impressive portrayal of the character.
Speaking with Comic Book Resources (CBR) about Milly Alcock's casting as Supergirl for the DCU, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran admitted that she is on par with the franchise's other "perfect" casting, such as the "great" fit of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.
"We talk about this all the time. With all these movies, if you can get the perfect fit of actor and character… like, (Jason) Momoa was awesome as Aquaman. And Gal (Gadot) was great as Wonder Woman. If you can get that fit, it makes your life a lot easier. And she fit the character as written by Tom King, and as adapted by Ana Nogueira. She just was that character. It was kind of incredible."
Safran also talked about how they cried during Alcock's screen test for Supergirl, calling it a "really emotional" experience for everyone involved because they knew that the actress was the right fit for the role:
"We brought her in for a screen test with one other actor, and in her audition, we cried. We literally cried at her screen test while we were shooting because it was such a beautiful scene that she was doing. Really emotional. And it was just so obviously her. It was one of those perfect fits."
Safran's positive comment about Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is unsurprising, given that the star's portrayal of the DCEU heroine was widely praised by fans and critics. Moreover, the DC Studios boss' latest admission fully cemented the idea that Gadot's seven-year run as the Amazonian warrior is worth celebrating for leaving a lasting mark in the realm of superhero movies.
Plans for a Wonder Woman 3 set in the old DCEU continuity were initially set to bring back Gadot as the titular heroine alongside director Patty Jenkins. However, the massive shift in the plans for the DC franchise led to the complete abandonment of the project.
A new take on Wonder Woman is expected to be showcased soon in James Gunn's DC Universe, where this new heroine will share the screen with the likes of David Corenswet's Superman and Milly Alcock's Supergirl.
Will Gal Gadot Ever Return to Play a New Character in James Gunn's DCU?
While it's quite unfortunate that Gal Gadot will not return as Wonder Woman in the brand-new DCU, there are still fans hoping for a potential comeback for the actress in the DC backyard, considering that her fellow DCEU co-star Jason Momoa returned as an entirely different character (Lobo) in the Milly Alcock-led Supergirl movie.
Given the plethora of heroes and villains under DC's roster, there are many options for Gadot as she ponders her potential transition to a completely different character if the stars align in the future, especially considering James Gunn's previous comment that he is open to reusing talent from the DCEU if a right role fits for that certain actor or actress.
At this stage, a Wonder Woman return is unlikely because the role is simply being recast to avoid confusion among general audiences. It would not work if Gadot were still to portray Wonder Woman in the DCU, because it raises more questions than it answers.
If Gadot chooses not to return and play a new character in the DCU, the most likely path for her comeback is when the time comes that the reboot will tap into the complexities of the Multiverse, prompting the actress for a major comeback to portray a Variant of Wonder Woman in a possible Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline down the road.
