James Gunn’s upcoming DCU reboot has led to a lot of stars attached to the franchise potentially losing their roles. Some, like Henry Cavill, definitely won’t be returning to their iconic parts. But one person who’s further involvement in the franchise that’s still up for debate is Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot.
For now, it’s been confirmed that Phase One of Gunn’s DCU won’t have any Diana Prince content, so if you’re a fan of the character’s adventures, you’ve got a few years of waiting before you’ll have the chance to see a new Wonder Woman film or show. Thankfully, Gadot managed to get a lot of appearances in as the iconic metahuman, so if you want to watch her adventures, then read ahead for every Wonder Woman movie featuring Gal Gadot in order.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
This much hyped blockbuster saw initially impressive returns but is now considered a bit of a box office and critical flop. A transparent and frankly heavyhanded allegory for 9/11 and the aggressive, damaging American response to the towers falling, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice follows the caped crusader (Ben Affleck) as he decides the biggest threat to global security isn’t terrorism, or one of the many evil villains roaming through Gotham, but is in fact Superman (Cavill). Like most billionaires, Bruce Wayne remains convinced of his view despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, eventually partnering with Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg) to try and take Superman down. Wayne realizes the error of his ways but it’s too late and the Man of Steel ends up being killed. The film ends with Wayne asking Diana Prince to join him and a group of other metahumans in protecting the world now that Superman is gone.
News of Gadot nabbing the famous role was met with some backlash in the DCU fan community, with many believing she was far too petite to play the Amazonian. However, she won critics over with her performance and was a bright spot in this generally disjointed film. She also batted back criticisms about her commitment to the role and character by going through months of martial arts training and gaining several pounds of muscle mass. As a first outing as Wonder Woman, it really couldn’t have gone much better for her.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Gadot’s first full Wonder Woman film was a rare high point for the DCU in terms of critical and commercial success, with Wonder Woman earning rave critic and fan reviews. The film switches between the present day, World War One, and Wonder Woman’s youth, with most of the action taking place in the past. The plot follows Wonder Woman as she grows up on the hidden island of Themyscira and learns to wield a “god-killer,” a device left to the Amazonians by Zeus in case Ares ever returned to cause havoc on earth and destroy humanity. We then move into World War One, when pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes on Thermyscira, causing the Amazonians to learn about the war going on in the outside world. Assuming Ares is responsible for the destruction, Wonder Woman heads into the heat of the action to try and stop him. She soon learns she was wrong, and while Ares had been giving humans violent ideas, it’s in the nature of the species to kill and destroy each other. Wonder Woman eventually manages to best Ares, killing him with his own lightning, before we return to the modern day.
The film was not without controversy, and was banned in several Arab countries because of Gadot’s past as a soldier in the IDF (she is Israeli, and military service is mandatory in the country). Despite that, there was no doubt that it hit a high note in the struggling DCU, becoming one of the most successful superhero origin films of all time in terms of earnings. Gadot and Pine were given great reviews for their excellent performances, and the stream of humor that ran through the film was also seen as a huge positive after years of dark, gritty reboots and origin stories. The action sequences were also massively praised, as was the film’s ability to break out of many of the tropes superhero films are famous for.
Justice League (2017)
This much maligned ensemble film was in trouble before it was even relseased, with director Zack Snyder having to pull out because of the tragic death of his daughter, leading to notorious bully Joss Whedon taking over. The convoluted plot involves Steppenwolf returning to earth to try and take it over after learning of Superman’s death (at the end of Batman v Superman). Warned by her Amazonian mother of the threat, Diana Prince gathers other metahumans (Batman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Cyborg) to form a group to stop Steppenwolf in his tracks. The group, realizing they need more firepower, attempt to bring Superman back from the dead. They succeed, but the revived Kryptonian can’t remember his past and attacks his fellow superheroes. Eventually, Superman recalls his memories and joins the other five metahumans to defeat Steppenwolf.
Justice League was widely panned for its bumpy pacing, strained plot, and dull villain. After it was released, numerous issues around production, especially Whedon’s behavior, came to light. With that all said, Gadot yet again earned great reviews for her portrayal of Diana Prince, even if everything else about Justice League felt generic and overdone.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
After the disappointment of Justice League many fans of Wonder Woman and the DCU franchise were excited about the follow up to 2017’s Wonder Woman. However, the pandemic quashed a lot of the hype for this film, and as a result it was released on streaming services instead of in theaters. Thanks to this, it ended up losing money, but it was also the most widely watched straight to streaming film of the year, so there was an appetite for it.
The plot of Wonder Woman 1984 follows Diana Prince in 1984, now working at the Smithsonian Museum and occasionally foiling crimes as Wonder Woman. Alongside a new colleague (Barbara Minverva, played by Kristen Wiig) Diana comes into possession of the Dreamstone, which allows those holding it one wish. They soon realize the stone’s power when Barabara accidentally gets Wonder Woman’s abilities and Diana is able to resurrect her dead lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Failing businessman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) learns of the stone’s powers and steals it, wishing he could take on its powers and grant wishes. All the while, the characters learn that the Dreamstone has a kind of monkey paw effect, drawing power from those who used it to make a wish unless they renounce the wish or destroy the stone. After letting Steve return to the dead, Wonder Woman regains her powers and convinces Max to let the stone go, restoring balance to the world.
While Wonder Woman 1984 didn’t reach the critical heights of 2017’s Wonder Woman, it was praised for its engaging plot and realistic characterization. As usual, Gadot was given great reviews for her performance, and the comedic and campier elements of the film allowed it to stand out against other increasingly generic DCU films.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
After four years of fan requests, the original director of Justice League Zack Snyder released his cut of the film. The Snyder Cut, as fans christened it, was unquestionably a superior product to Whedon’s 2017 version, adding depth to the plot and characters in a way that the initial film simply lacked. At almost four hours long, it was a bit of a slog for non-committed fans of the DCU, but the pacing never felt too off, and the action sequences made it whirl by.
Peacemaker (2022)
This one technically shouldn’t count as Gadot doesn’t actually appear as her character in the 2022 television series Peacemaker, based on the adventures of the antihero of the same name. However, Wonder Woman does make a cameo, albeit with her face obscured, so we’re chucking it in anyway. The role of Diana Prince was played by stuntwoman Kimberley von Ilberg in the episode ‘Cow or Never’.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Gadot’s final appearance as Wonder Woman (for now) was a brief cameo in the recently released Shazam! Fure of the Gods. The film follows the wizard as he attempts to battle nymphs, evil wizards, and monsters to save the city of Philadelphia. Diana Prince only turns up near the end of the film, using her status as the last magical being on earth to repair a magical staff and help to resurrect Shazam. Her appearance was teased during the marketing of the film, which upset the director David F. Sandberg, who’d intended it to be a surprise for fans.
Gadot is hardly in this movie, and the film itself is middling at best, with a slightly confusing plot and a lot of humor that simply doesn’t land. However, it is a DCU film, which means you’ll get great action scenes and a few laughs throughout, making it worth a watch.