Recently, the head of Warner Bros. cited Superman, Batman, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman as the “Four pillars of the DC Universe.” Superman, of course, has a big movie coming out this summer, with his cousin Supergirl following next year. A Brave and the Bold movie featuring Batman and Robin is still in the works as well, although further down the line. But what about Wonder Woman? Aside from an Amazon-centric Paradise Lost series announced two years ago, there’s been no news on Diana Prince’s return. Well, James Gunn has announced that one is now officially in the works. Here’s what he told Entertainment Weekly:
Wonder Woman‘s a separate thing [to Paradise Lost, that is], slow moving, but it’s moving. We’re working on Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman‘s being written right now.
That’s the first news we’ve had that a Wonder Woman movie is being written at all. Gunn didn’t say who was writing the script, apparently holding back that announcement for a later date. He definitely didn’t mention who would play the DCU’s Amazing Amazon. Gunn has never said Gal Gadot is officially no longer our Princess Diana of Themyscira, but that’s the assumption. If new actors are playing Superman and Batman, it stands to reason they’ll want a new actress as Wonder Woman as well. If only to avoid any further brand confusion with the old DCEU.
Patty Jenkins’ first Wonder Woman film was a critical and commercial smash in the summer of 2017. It was the first well-received DCEU film, at least from a critical standpoint, after Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad. The sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, fared far more poorly, released in the height of the pandemic, going straight to HBO Max. But Wonder Woman is far too big of a character in the DC pantheon to sideline. And if Gunn is building up his Justice League, he’ll need to establish her as part of the core lineup. We’ve got a Superman, a Supergirl, soon a Batman, and three Green Lanterns to choose from now. With a new Wonder Woman now officially in the works, we eagerly await news on Gunn’s plans for the Flash. The DCU needs a Scarlet Speedster too.