What's Next For Wonder Woman After DC Studios Scrapped Wonder Woman 3?

Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have stepped into their roles leading DC Studios, there's no shortage of speculation as to what the past, present, and future of the DC Universe holds. On Wednesday night, we began to get a pretty major inkling of what that entails, with word from The Hollywood Reporter that the current iteration of Wonder Woman 3 will not be moving forward. The now-scrapped treatment for the film was written by franchise director Patty Jenkins and comic writer Geoff Johns, and reportedly does not fit into the plans that Gunn and Safran have going forward. The report does indicate that the path forward for that franchise is currently unclear — so, what exactly could that look like?

For starters, there's the possibility that Wonder Woman 3 could ultimately still happen, but not with the storyline that Jenkins and Johns brought forward. While it's been years since Wonder Woman 1984 debuted and a third film was quickly announced to be in development, we still have next-to-no idea of what Jenkins' plot could have entailed, outside of Lynda Carter most likely reprising her role as the Amazon warrior Asteria. It's entirely possible that the original story for Wonder Woman 3 might have been too standalone or finite compared to the larger DC Studios plans — which, considering how disconnected many of the franchise's films have been thus far, is probably a habit that is going to be broken going forward. With all of that in mind, it might not be out of the realm of possibility that we eventually see Wonder Woman 3 — but in a completely different form, either with a new screenwriter or director involved.

A Larger Universe?

Even with this version of Wonder Woman 3 scrapped, it's safe to assume that we haven't seen the last of Gadot's Wonder Woman in the franchise, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav naming the character as one of the cornerstones of DC's futureIt's already been rumored that Gadot might be reprising her role in an upcoming DC movie, whether it be The Flash and/or Shazam! Fury of the Gods. And beyond that, it's easy to imagine her Wonder Woman potentially making cameos in other projects.

Given the fact that Gunn and Safran's initial deal is only for four years, and it would hypothetically take several or most of those years to have brought Jenkins' Wonder Woman 3 to life onscreen, their immediate strategy could be having her in the universe in a supporting capacity, while the circumstances of her next solo film are being ironed out. There's also the chance that an eventual Wonder Woman 3 could be retooled to fit in more of the larger DC mythos, whether in the form of cameos from other superheroes, or a larger conflict between Themyscira and the superheroes of Man's World. 

The Amazons

On the topic of the larger DC mythos, one possibility — either in the interim of waiting for Wonder Woman 3, or instead of it for the time being — could be to introduce some other members of the Wonder Woman family. Characters like Nubia, Donna Troy, and Yara Flor have all thrived in the comics in recent years, telling stories that can be tangential to Diana's, while still expanding out the larger Amazon mythos.

As plans to spin off The Amazons into its own HBO Max series ultimately not leading anywhere over the past few years, it would certainly be an inspired choice to tell the stories of other heroines, who can later join forces with Diana in a potential other solo project. Either way, we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

What do you think is next for Wonder Woman after Wonder Woman 3's cancellation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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