Given everything we’ve heard about the transition from the Snyderverse to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, it was hardly a secret that the changing of the guard didn’t exactly go smoothly.
The departures of Henry Cavill and “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins, in particular, suggested that the new regime had not handled the transition particularly well. Jenkins herself has spoken about how her plans for “Wonder Woman 3” fell apart under the new leadership, and now Gal Gadot is revealing that she was watching all of it happen while being told that DC still wanted to make another movie with her. If Gadot’s account is accurate, that raises some obvious questions about what she was being told behind the scenes.
In a new interview with Josh Horowitz on his “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast, Gadot was asked whether Gunn, Safran, or anyone else at DC Studios had explicitly told her that they were moving on from her version of Wonder Woman. Interestingly, she revealed that she had actually been told the opposite: that the studio wanted to develop a third film with her.
No, they told me the opposite. They were like, ‘We’re going to develop it with you, the third…’ But I saw the way everybody else [was] handled, right?
Gadot was clearly thinking about what had happened with Cavill and Jenkins, and she didn’t mince words when describing how she viewed the way those departures were handled.
And, you know, the Henry situation was not handled elegantly, to say the least. Same with Patty. Was not handled elegantly. I feel like, you know, we’re all adults and it’s all good. And it’s not even about them. They are there, and they’re there to do what they believe in, and it’s all good.
Her comments suggest that even as DC Studios was telling her that another “Wonder Woman” movie could happen, watching how other members of the previous DC regime were treated understandably left her uncertain about where she actually stood.
Of course, all of this comes as DC Studios moves forward with an entirely new version of Wonder Woman. Ana Nogueira is currently writing the new DCU movie, which will introduce a different take on the character. There have also been persistent rumors that Adria Arjona could eventually take over as the DCU’s Wonder Woman.
Either way, Gadot’s comments now make it seem increasingly clear that she won’t be returning, even though Gunn and Safran apparently never formally told her that her time as the character was over. In the end, it appears the changing of the guard made the decision for her.
Listen, whether you liked the Snyderverse or hated it, the way Gunn and Safran handled the transition has left plenty to be desired. There was always going to be a need for change as DC moved toward a new universe, but the mixed messages, abrupt exits, and behind-the-scenes fallout made the process feel messier than it needed to be.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.