DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have a cinematic universe master plan in place but confusing comments from Gal Gadot and other actors are leaving fans frustrated.
The Wonder Woman star sparked backlash for seemingly misleading fans by suggesting a third film was on the way that would follow on from the DC Extended Universe's (DCEU) two entries despite that franchise, as far as fans can tell, practically being scrapped by the new DC film chiefs.
"I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman. You’ve got nothing to worry about.’ So time will tell," Gadot told Flaunt.
Her involvement, or any mention of a Wonder Woman follow-up, were missing from the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters plan though. Reports denying the claim also emerged, with anonymous sources familiar with the situation saying Gunn and Safran have no plans to develop a new Wonder Woman film.
"James really has to come out and say something official because all these conflicting reports are a horrible look," said Reddit user clitchweku. "Such a confusing start to something that was supposed to be a hard reboot," added vruchtenhagel. "It's hard being a DC enthusiast these days."
DC used The Flash as a canonical moving on point from the DCEU — which began with Zach Snyder's Man of Steel and is set to end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — but the extent of this moving on seemingly isn't clear to anyone but Gunn and Safran.
The latter said in July the DC Studios team is "trying to minimise audience confusion and maximise their enjoyment", but Gadot's comments have thrown many fans back into a spiral.
"The DCU has been a wild ride and it hasn't even started. What a s**tshow" said Star_Lord1997, again on Reddit. "James Gunn needs to come out on a podcast or some s**t explaining what will and won't be part of the DCU, more than what he revealed in the slate, then make an official statement," added properc.
Chapter 1 of the DCU kicks off with Superman: Legacy in 2025 and also includes Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, and The Authority alongside five TV shows: Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Booster Gold, and Paradise Lost.
The last of these is a "Game of Thrones-type story" about Themyscira, the island nation where Wonder Woman is from. The story takes place before her birth, however, and "involves all the darkness and drama and political intrigue behind this society of only women".
This is seemingly as close as Wonder Woman is getting to the DCU's Chapter 1, but that's not to say she won't appear in the future. Somehow adding even more confusion to the saga, Gunn said the DCEU's Blue Beetle and "a handful of other characters" will make the leap to the DCU, so Gadot could theoretically be among them.
That being said, announcing future films prematurely is a running theme for DCEU actors. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson infamously promised "the power hierarchy in the DC Universe is about to change" ahead of Black Adam's flop, later being forced to admit his character wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
Henry Cavill underwent something similar, as the Man of Steel actor announced his return as Superman alongside the release of Black Adam but later revealed he wouldn't be returning after all.
Gadot could therefore be the latest star to fall victim to this, for whatever reason. "I think this might be another Cavill situation where she’s been told one thing by some people but in actuality they have no plans to continue with her version of the character," said EM208. "Maybe she was just trying to be optimistic."
Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña could be the first to break this curse given Gunn's comments though, and the young actor is certainly eager to continue. "I want to do 12 more years of Blue Beetle," he said earlier in August.
Regardless of the maybes, the DCU should be on a fairly straight and narrow path upon the release of Superman: Legacy. Gunn was confirmed to be writing the film but later revealed he would direct too, though assured it won't have the "same vibe" as his Marvel superhero offering Guardians of the Galaxy. The film entered pre-production in April, and while details are still slim, Gunn said he's open to making it more mature but is generally aiming for a PG-13 rating.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
