Since it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran were taking over DC Studios, fans have been anxiously awaiting information about what we can expect from DC’s TV and animation efforts. Apparently, Wonder Woman 3 is on the chopping block at this time.
Multiple sources have told The Hollywood Reporter that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 is not moving forward and is considered dead in its current incarnation. It’s important to note that this does not mean Gal Gadot is done as Princess Diana, but the project will not move forward.
Sources told THR that Jenkins recently submitted her treatment, co-written with Geoff Johns, and that Gunn and Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, broke the news to the filmmaker, telling her the project did not fit in with the new (but still unfolding) plans. Jenkins directed and co-wrote the previous two movies, starring Gal Gadot and released in 2017 and 2020. No decision has been made about next steps.
It seems that Gadot was pretty excited to know that Jenkins had submitted her treatment and assumed it would be smooth sailing when she tweeted:
Of course, nothing is written in stone and Gunn and Safran have been formulating their plan to fix the DCU and move forward with a more cohesive universe, hopefully following the MCU’s example of sticking to the source material and remaining in canon instead of haphazardly making each film as if it will be the last and cramming multiple villains and storylines into each one.
The duo is expected to meet with David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO to unveil their own 10-year plan. It is possible that there could be an additional Wonder Woman film starring Gadot, but the script and storyline will need to fit into Gunn and Safran’s vision.
REELated:
With this latest development, many are speculating that this could be the beginning of the end for the “Snyderverse” and the heroes cast by filmmaker Zack Snyder for his Justice League including Henry Cavill’s Superman and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, that is after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes out in 2023.
Superman and Aquaman are expected to cameo in Flash, the highly anticipated time travel adventure movie that is due to release June 16, 2023. Cavill shot his part of the cameo in September. But sources told HR there is a debate inside the studio regarding keeping the cameo and if its inclusion promises something that studio would have no plans on delivering.
A WBD insider cautions that no plans have been finalized and that Flash remains an unlocked picture.
Cavill was under the impression that he was returning as Superman and excitedly posted the news on his Instagram after appearing in the post-credit scene in Black Adam:
At the time, WBD was actually developing a sequel for 2013’s Man of Steel and actively meeting with writers. Andy Muschietti, who directed Flash, was allegedly hoping to direct it. That all happened BEFORE Gunn and Safran took the helm and now everything is up in the air and we won’t know their exact plans until they share them.
We should expect Gunn and Safran to begin the new DCU with a clean slate, but WBD has four DC films made under the previous regime due out next year: Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom before we can even get started with their vision of the future.
As we previously reported, not all DC projects will fall under Gunn and Safran’s leadership. Todd Phillips’ Joker sequel will be overseen by De Luca and Abdy and Matt Reeves’ Batman universe in which Robert Pattinson dons the cowl of the Caped Crusader seems to still be alive and kicking with Reeves writing the sequel to The Batman, which opened March 4. The filmmaker is also overseeing the launch of two Batman series that spin out of his movie, including The Penguin.
