Gal Gadot does not want Wonder Woman 3 to follow in the footsteps of previous installments by being set in the past. 2017 saw Wonder Woman bring some much-needed light to a then-floundering DCEU, so naturally, after the critical and commercial success of the first film, fans have been eagerly awaiting Wonder Woman 1984. Unfortunately, they have had to wait longer due to the delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and now, after Warner Bros.' groundbreaking announcement that the film will be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas, fans will finally get to witness Princess Diana in action again.
Although some critics have argued the narrative is a little clustered, early reviews have largely been positive as critics have praised the sequel for its heartfelt approach. Similar to the 2017 installment, Wonder Woman 1984 is also set in the past. But this time, instead of being in 1918, it will be in the ‘80s at the height of the Cold War as Princess Diana battles Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). Although the sequel is now in theaters internationally, Gadot has continued to promote the film ahead of its domestic release on Christmas Day, and the star has now touched on where she would like the third Wonder Woman to be set.
In a recent interview with MTV News, Gadot dived into all things Wonder Woman, and one of the topics discussed was the theme of past settings for the films. After first discussing how she approached preparing to be in an ‘80s environment for WW84, the interviewer later posed the question, while mentioning Patty Jenkins hinted a third film could be set in the present day, if there was another era Gadot would like to see the franchise explore. However, instead of focusing on the past, Gadot said: “I think the present is the right thing.” She then followed up by saying: “I wouldn’t go, like, to the ‘60s or to the ‘40s with Wonder Woman. I feel like the past has been handled well, and now it’s time to move on.”
Gadot’s answer is arguably the right one, as another Wonder Woman set in the past could feel rather repetitive and tiresome. The first film’s setting worked to help explore the character’s origin story, and with the sequel, Jenkins highlighted that she wanted to show Diana “at the peak of her strength” while being in a situation to “show bad people how to improve.” The first Wonder Woman opens and closes with the hero in the present day, and it's likely fans will want more of that in the next installment, especially as a film like The Flash will have the hero be with fellow Justice League members like Batman. As Gadot said in the interview, it feels like “the past has been handled well.”
Earlier in the year, Jenkins mentioned that she already has a story idea for Wonder Woman 3 before stating she’s hit the pause button on developing the story further as she wants to see what “the result of this pandemic is.” All signs certainly point to a present-day Wonder Woman story for the third film. Although the early international box office numbers are below expectations for WW84, considering its unique release, Warner Bros. will be keeping a close eye on HBO Max’s numbers when taking into account the success of the sequel. One would certainly expect a Wonder Woman 3, and if/when it does release, it sounds like Gadot will get her wish of a present-day storyline.
Source: MTV News
