Following concerning reports about Wonder Woman 3 being dead at DC Studios, director Patty Jenkins reportedly doesn't want to re-develop the last installment in the trilogy. Following the 2020 release of Wonder Woman 1984, Warner Bros. has actively been developing Wonder Woman 3. Since the initial announcement, Jenkins has actively been working on the screenplay, with Gal Gadot confirmed as the only returning cast member. No release date had been set, but Wonder Woman 3 was still on track as one of the next DC Universe movies. Recently, Gadot even said on social media she was looking forward to the next chapter for her character.
However, new reports this week revealed that DC Studios is not moving forward with Wonder Woman 3 after Jenkins had turned in a treatment that didn't mesh well with their upcoming DCU plans. While Gadot and Jenkins have yet to comment on the reports, IndieWire hears that the filmmaker is reportedly not interested in re-developing the Wonder Woman threequel. As of right now, Jenkins is potentially stepping away from the DCU franchise in order to pursue other projects. Additionally, according to The Wrap, it was Jenkins' decision to walk away from Wonder Woman 3 after Warner Bros. heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy turned down her initial treatment and asked her to pitch something else. The trade says that Jenkins wanted them to "know that they were wrong, that they didn’t understand her, didn’t understand the character, didn’t understand character arcs and didn’t understand what Jenkins was trying to do."
What This Means For Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman In The DCU
Since James Gunn and Peter Safran are still working on their 10-year-plan for the DCU as the leaders of DC Studios, it's too early to tell if there is any hope for Wonder Woman 3. Even if Jenkins were to depart the franchise, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios could always re-develop the trilogy finale with a different filmmaker. Even though Jenkins has been integral to the entire Wonder Woman film franchise, this is an option the studio can exercise in the future. Assuming Jenkins is really out of the DCU, the biggest question that remains unresolved is Gadot's status as Wonder Woman.
A day before the DCU reports came about, Gadot had shared an emotional tribute to her casting anniversary. Many have now interpreted Gadot's post as the actor potentially signaling the end of her run. However, given the uncertainty of whether or not DC Studios is actually doing a full reboot of the DCU or simply scrapping projects that are in development stages, it's too soon to determine if Gadot is done as Wonder Woman. Despite Gunn's response to the DCU reports, which suggests some parts are inaccurate, time will tell if they are going to continue with Gadot's Wonder Woman or start over with a new performer in the role in a potentially fresh continuity.
Even if Wonder Woman 3 never comes to fruition or takes several more years to re-develop, it would be an odd decision to scrap this iteration of Wonder Woman. Gadot's franchise and her portrayal of the DC heroine have continued to be one of the strongest and most well-received aspects of the DCU, despite what happened to Wonder Woman 3. Ideally, Gadot could and should continue playing Wonder Woman in other DCU movies, especially if they are keeping other Justice League actors, whose fates are also up in the air right now. For now, Wonder Woman 3 is not a priority for DC Studios, but hopefully, that doesn't affect Gadot's character in the long run.
Source: IndieWire, The Wrap
