Gal Gadot has set the DC fandom alight as she alluded to the fact that Wonder Woman 3 is happening. Whilst promoting her film Heart of Stone, the actress discussed how Peter Safran and James Gunn were developing the third film together. But what would fans like next for the character?
Wonder Woman has been a firm favorite of the DCU since she appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and her first solo outing, helmed by Patty Jenkins, was a roaring success. The sequel, less so, with Wonder Woman 1984 not quite hitting the same high notes its predecessor did. She also appeared in Justice League and has since made a cameo this year in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, as well as The Flash.
Jenkins did have another movie in mind, one she was developing with Gadot until it fell apart last year as Warner Bros. passed on the concept and DC Studios was undergoing an overhaul that saw Safran and Gunn take over as heads of the studio. We weren’t really sure what the future would hold for Gadot’s role in the DCU, with many other actors’ futures having been cut or still in limbo.
There is currently no Wonder Woman film on the roster for DC’s first slate of movies under Safran and Gunn, which is titled Gods and Monsters, so we are not sure when to expect a new outing from Gadot. If it is coming, here is what we think Gunn needs to make happen in order to avoid the same fate as Wonder Woman 1984.
Let Steve Trevor go
We love you Chris Pine, we really do, but his character should have stayed dead after his noble sacrifice in Wonder Woman. His romance with Diana was sweet and heartfelt, and his loss poignant, so bringing him back was, literally, wish fulfillment and didn’t actually serve the character.
It also added a certain level of creepiness as it wasn’t even his body, but the body of another man that was used so Diana could feel like she was with him again. She even slept with him, which feels morally questionable given that, once again, it wasn’t his body. Whether you loved Steve’s addition in the last film or not, I think we can all agree his story is done.
Bring in Donna Troy
Bringing in the next generation of heroes could certainly add a fresh feel to the story and watch Diana deal with her own problems whilst also taking on a ward. Donna Troy was created by magic to be a playmate for Diana and is essentially a duplicate. Her backstory is more than a little tragic though, as she was kidnapped and cursed to experience numerous tragic lives.
When she discovers she has powers, very much like Wonder Woman’s, she names herself Wonder Girl and went on to become one of the founding members of Team Titan. Though we know the movies don’t always follow the comics, it will be interesting to see Diana deal with the responsibilities of a kid sister.
Let’s add some Circe to the mix
Circe is a recurring antagonist for Wonder Woman, one whom we have yet to see make an appearance. An immortal sorceress, Circe’s backstory also hails from Ancient Greek mythology and the DC iteration of the character has beef with the Gods. Circe also has a grudge against the Amazons, but held back from going after them after Hades insisted he would deal with them.
When Wonder Woman appeared once more into the world, Circe realized that the Amazons were still alive and set out to try to nullify Diana, believing that she would be responsible for her own demise. Circe and Diana run into each other time and time again in the comics, so it’s about time they did the same on screen.
Connect with Paradise Lost
Another avenue Gunn and Safran could go down is to connect to the upcoming HBO series, Paradise Lost, which looks at the background of Themyscira and the mythology surrounding them, well before Diana showed up. It will focus on the generations of women that have lived on the island and is promised by Gunn to act in a similar way to the fantasy hit Game of Thrones.
Seeing the warrior women on the island of Themyscira was one of the highlights of the first film, so it will be interesting to see more of them and their history. The connecting of the television show to the film will also create a more cohesive DC universe than we have had in the past. We will have to see how the series goes though, as a superhero series with no big superhero is a bold move for sure.
Bring back Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord and fix him
Maxwell Lord is a notable antagonist for Wonder Woman, and despite being played by the phenomenal Pedro Pascal, he just didn’t come out quite right in Wonder Woman 1984. Though manipulating people through lies is very comic book accurate, and shows him as the antithesis to Diana’s value of truth, there were many ways the film deviated from the source material.
At the time it felt like Maxwell was a stand-in for Trump, a businessman con artist who made promises that only ever enriched himself, though Gadot stated that was never the intention, telling Variety:
It’s interesting because when we shot it, we didn’t really think about it until we got to the White House [scene]. And then we’re like, ‘Hmm.’ But we never tried to mimic anybody else. We never tried to mimic Trump or anything.”
We feel that if Maxwell can make a return, they should definitely make him the true villain he was in the comics and a real threat to Diana.
Gunn and Safran have yet to corroborate Gadot’s statement about a third Wonder Woman film, but if Gadot is talking about it then we should have high hopes. Let’s hope though, that they can do the character justice, and please for the love of god do not stick the Themyscira back in those skimpy outfits they had on for Justice League, we’re sure Gunn and Safran can be better than that.