With successes like Superman and Peacemaker Season 2 under its belt, the DC Universe franchise is in full swing, and fans are excited to see what comes next. James Gunn is already hard at work on his Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow, which sees Superman team up with Lex Luthor to take down Brainiac. As Kal-El’s corner of the DCU continues to expand, people are eager to know when he’ll get a chance to interact with other notable heroes, namely Batman and Wonder Woman. Gunn has confirmed that films for both characters are currently being written, though nothing has been officially dated yet. That won’t happen until the scripts are complete and Gunn is happy with them.
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As Gunn and Co. build out the burgeoning DCU, they seem to be taking a patient approach with characters like Batman and Wonder Woman. This strategy makes a great deal of sense, given how important both will be to the larger franchise whenever they do make their debuts. If the DCU is to keep thriving for years to come, avoiding mistakes when handling these iconic heroes will be pertinent. Fortunately, in the case of Wonder Woman, Gunn appears to be on the right track.
Recasting Wonder Woman in the DCU Is the Right Move
When Wonder Woman finally arrives in the DCU, it’ll be the second time the character will have been part of a major shared cinematic universe. Gal Gadot previously portrayed the Amazonian warrior in the DC Extended Universe, headlining a pair of solo films and appearing in crossover events such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Though Gadot is still perfectly capable of playing the role, all signs point to Wonder Woman being recast for the DCU, which is the smart move.
That isn’t necessarily an indictment against Gadot. It’s easy to forget now after the DCEU fell apart, but there was a time when she was one of the franchise’s brightest highlights. After stealing scenes in her brief appearance in Batman v Superman, the first Wonder Woman movie was a bona fide triumph, earning rave reviews and posting strong box office numbers. As far as Wonder Woman is concerned, things didn’t really start to go sideways until after the Justice League debacle, when Wonder Woman 1984 premiered in 2020. Despite much excitement, the sequel failed to live up to expectations due to some baffling creative choices, and the future of the Wonder Woman series was in doubt even before Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios.
Since the DCU is meant to be a reboot that wipes the slate clean with a fresh continuity, it only makes sense to recast Wonder Woman. Bringing Gadot back to the fold would create a messy situation. For starters, it would raise uncomfortable questions from people wondering why Gadot is reprising her role, but other actors from the DCEU (namely, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck) are not. Seeing Gadot as Wonder Woman again would also evoke memories of the DCEU’s messy end, particularly the Wonder Woman 1984 backlash. Casual audiences who don’t follow the ins and outs of franchise filmmaking every day could become confused, and might even decide to stay away since the DCEU’s Wonder Woman fell out of favor with viewers by the end.
This doesn’t mean that Gadot can never play a character in Gunn’s DCU. After all, former Aquaman Jason Momoa is now Lobo in this summer’s Supergirl. That’s proof Gunn isn’t averse to collaborating with DC veterans, but if Gadot ever becomes part of the new franchise, she’ll be playing a new character. It’s just cleaner and simpler to hit the reset button and start from scratch, commemorating the start of a new era for Wonder Woman on-screen. Gadot exemplified many of the qualities synonymous with Diana Prince in her performances, but if multiple actors can do a great job bringing Batman and Superman to life, there’s someone else out there who can be the next Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman Not Being in Man of Tomorrow Is Great for the DCU
As fans wait for official details about Wonder Woman in the DCU, the rumor mill has been attempting to churn up any information it can. Perhaps the most notable nugget of speculation to pop up was the one suggesting that the DCU’s Wonder Woman had already been cast, something Gunn has since debunked. As Man of Tomorrow rounds out its cast, word was Gunn was looking to cast an actress for a prominent role described as a “warrior” with a “strong physique” and an “edge.” On paper, that certainly sounds like it could be Wonder Woman, but it appears Man of Tomorrow is going in a different direction.
Nothing has been officially confirmed, but the latest reports indicate the mysterious new female role in Man of Tomorrow is actually Maxima, a powerful being who seeks out a mate on Earth and pursues Superman. Maxima is a lesser-known character in the DC mythos (at least to those who are only familiar with the movies), but she would make a great addition to the DCU. Throughout his career, Gunn has specialized in transforming obscure comic book figures into household names (most recently with Mister Terrific in Superman), and there will be plenty of opportunities for outrageous and humorous character interactions as Maxima attempts to make a move on Superman. Plus, it allows the DCU to keep growing organically.
Fans understandably are looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman on the big screen again, but Man of Tomorrow isn’t the right place for that to happen. One of the biggest errors of the DCEU was its rush to catch up to Marvel, shoehorning in other Justice League members in Batman v Superman to quickly establish a team. Gadot was great in her limited screen time in Batman v Superman, but she ultimately didn’t have much to do. That film had so much else on its plate between the conflict between the two titular heroes and Lex Luthor’s scheme that it arguably didn’t need Wonder Woman. A character of that importance should be saved until she can be the main focus of a project and receive the spotlight she deserves.
Peacemaker Season 2 found itself in a bit of hot water when its polarizing finale was criticized for featuring too much shared universe setup, so it’s nice to see Man of Tomorrow (probably) won’t repeat that mistake. Similar to Batman v Superman, Man of Tomorrow has a lot to balance out, continuing to flesh out the Superman/Lex Luthor dynamic while also introducing Brainiac (one of the most notable Superman villains who has never appeared in a live-action film). Fitting Wonder Woman in all of that could come across as forced, which would be a disappointing development. It’s one thing to give “smaller” heroes like the Justice Gang a supporting role. There isn’t as much baggage and expectations that come with them. Wonder Woman is an icon and shouldn’t be relegated to “obligatory shared universe setup” duty. One of Gunn’s goals with the DCU is to ensure each project works as a standalone story on its own merits. Wonder Woman will get her time to shine, but it’s best if she waits.
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