With the sudden and shocking news that Wonder Woman 3 will no longer be moving forward, it is vital for the DCU to keep Gal Gadot and her iteration of Wonder Woman in the franchise. Following WB and Discovery’s merger, the DCU (formerly known as the DCEU) is now led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, and while the franchise is reportedly going to have a renewed focus on DC’s “big three” heroes, it also appears to no longer be moving forward with several key DC sequels, such as Superman, Black Adam, and a third Aquaman movie. Jettisoning any of these heroes is a mistake, especially Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman debuted in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, played excellently by Gal Gadot, before starring in her own solo movie a year later. 2017’s Wonder Woman was a massive success for WB and while its sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, was not nearly as well-received, Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins have been quite vocally enthusiastic about a third installment. The proposed Wonder Woman 3 was reportedly canceled because it does not fit with Gunn and Safran’s plans for the DCU, but considering the success and popularity of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, both the character and actress must continue to play a leading role in the franchise.
The DCU Cannot Afford To Lose Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman
2017’s Wonder Woman was critically and commercially successful for WB, pleasing longtime Wonder Woman comic fans and more casual viewers alike, with Gal Gadot’s heartfelt performance as Diana Prince being one of the film’s many highlights. Although Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman 1984, and the theatrical version of Justice League were far less successful, Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman was always a redeeming quality of all of these films. Even at times when Henry Cavill’s Superman and Ben Affleck’s Batman were seen as controversial iterations of their respective characters, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman remained one of the DCEU’s consistently strongest elements, so keeping her in the DCU is imperative.
Wonder Woman 3 Should Be Rewritten, Not Scrapped
The reports of Wonder Woman 3’s cancelation suggest that the film has been halted only because the studio was not satisfied with Patty Jenkins’ first story treatment, leading Jenkins to leave the project. Considering the popularity of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and the DCU’s purported desire to have her continue to star in Wonder Woman films, the wisest options would be to either find new filmmakers or for WB to reach a compromise with Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman 3 can and should still be made, and Gal Gadot should continue to portray Wonder Woman as one of the DCU’s leading superheroes.
WB likely wishes to have another critically and commercially successful crowd-pleaser like 2017’s Wonder Woman, and the third film’s story treatment may have been another potentially divisive entry like Wonder Woman 1984. If Patty Jenkins is unwilling to budge, their best option might be to find new writers and directors, but if Gal Gadot is unwilling to continue playing Diana Prince without Jenkins, WB will need to convince them both to stay somehow. Gal Gadot and her iteration of Wonder Woman remains one of DC’s biggest successes on film so regardless of Wonder Woman 3’s cancelation, she must remain in the franchise while aligning with the DCU’s new vision.
