Wonder Woman 3's story will be impacted by the real-life coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak, which took a turn for the worse in March, had an unprecedented effect on the entertainment industry. A number of movies and TV shows that were currently in production were forced to shut down indefinitely, and a number of scheduled film premieres needed to be pushed back. Wonder Woman 1984 is one of the many projects that was forced to move. It was originally delayed from June 2020 to August, but it was recently rescheduled for October 2020 after Tenet was pushed back a couple of weeks.

Coronavirus threw Hollywood's immediate release calendar for a major loop, and it'll be interesting to see what other kind of impact it has on the business over the next few years. Of course, a number of new health and safety protocols will have to be instituted to keep production sets a safe environment, but there's also the possibility COVID-19 influences the stories filmmakers look to tell. As it turns out, Patty Jenkins is keeping the ongoing pandemic in mind as she brainstorms Wonder Woman 3.

Related: Wonder Woman Needs A Modern DCEU Movie After 1984

Speaking with Total Film (hat tip Heroic Hollywood), Jenkins revealed the events of the past few months have changed her approach to Wonder Woman 3 and she's holding off on formulating the narrative for the time being.

“I’ve really hit the pause button. Because the truth is, where that plotline was coming from was our state of being six months ago. And so I want to make sure that I’m totally absorbing whatever the result of this pandemic is.”

Patty Jenkins directs Gal Gadot on the beach in Wonder Woman

Since Wonder Woman 1984 is still a few months away from hitting theaters, it's impossible to say where Wonder Woman 3 could take the story. That said, Jenkins has already stated she expects Wonder Woman 3 to be set in the present day and her latest comments are just further confirmation of that. The franchise's previous two installments are period pieces, taking place during World War I and the 1980s, respectively. As fun as that direction is, fans are looking forward to seeing Diana Prince in a more modern setting in a movie that explores her post-Justice League life. Since this is supposedly the plan for Wonder Woman 3, it makes sense for Jenkins to wait and see how the pandemic progresses before resuming writing the story. If it was another period piece, she probably wouldn't have been affected by the health crisis.

Blockbuster movies like Wonder Woman are designed to be escapism that allow viewers to get lost in a fantasy for a couple of hours, but they can also be reflective of the world they're released in. In some respects, it would be strange if a present-day Wonder Woman 3 didn't have any mention of the coronavirus, as that could potentially cause a disconnect with audiences being forced to adjust their daily lives. Unlike something like Star Wars (which is set in a fictional galaxy far, far away), the DCEU is supposed to take place on Earth. It wouldn't be surprising if other films followed Wonder Woman 3's lead so they too could depict a realistic post-COVID world. This isn't to say every single movie that comes out has to work in a pandemic subplot, but since coronavirus is part of our society now, it's only logical for it to be a factor in the movies.

More: Every DCEU Movie Coming to DC's FanDome (& What Reveals to Expect)

Source: Total Film (via Heroic Hollywood)

Key Release Dates