Not to beat the old DC vs. Marvel drum again, but it’s tragic to compare the superhero careers of the MCU’s Avengers and the DCEU’s Justice League. While Marvel’s OG cast got to bow out gracefully at the end of the Infinity Saga, the Snyderverse’s leads have either been quietly shuffled off stage or very publicly replaced. See Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and, yes, Gal Gadot.
Gadot’s portrayal of Diana Prince was always was one of the highlights of the much-troubled DCEU, even if 2017’s acclaimed Wonder Woman was followed up by 2020’s panned Wonder Woman 1984. Nonetheless, the Israeli actress proved her staying power with further appearances in the likes of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. So why isn’t a Wonder Woman 3 with Gadot happening? Was she fired?
Wonder Woman 3 isn’t happening, but why was Gal Gadot let go?
First of all, let’s remember that DC is currently in a time of transition. Former Marvel filmmaker James Gunn officially took over as the new co-chief of DC Studios, alongside producer Peter Safran, in November 2022, with the first slate of movies and TV shows to come from the rebooted DCU announced in January 2023. This confirmed that new incarnations of Superman and Batman would be introduced in such films as Superman: Legacy and The Brave and the Bold.
As for the third member of DC’s Trinity, Wonder Woman lore was promised to be kept alive through Paradise Lost, a Max prequel series focusing on the Amazons of Themyscira, Diana’s island home. This came after it was confirmed director Patty Jenkins had parted ways with DC, due to creative differences with the new head honchos, and would not be helming the previously announced Wonder Woman 3.
We kind of assumed that was that, then, until Gadot claimed that actually she was still attached to WW3 in August 2023, after having a very encouraging meeting with Gunn and Safran. This was swiftly followed by Variety reporting that, despite the actress’ comments, DC was not moving forward with a third movie for the heroine and was simply focusing on Paradise Lost at this time. Since then, Gadot has not repeated her claims so we’ve been left to assume WW3 is dead and her time in the role is over.
So, was Gal Gadot fired? It’s difficult to say. Certainly, it sounds like her interactions with Gunn and Safran were not as final as Henry Cavill’s, who was firmly and clearly told his services would no longer be required, with David Corenswet later hired as his replacement.
“I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran,” Gadot revealed to Flaunt magazine, “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 we’ll see.”
Variety‘s insider source made clear that “nothing was ever promised” to the actress regarding WW3, but it sure sounds like Gunn and Safran are big fans of her performance as Diana and so aren’t in a hurry to replace her. That is if they’ve even officially let her go as Wonder Woman. All in all, then, it probably wouldn’t be accurate to say Gadot has been fired and it’s feasible, if a bit of a stretch, that she could still return. Maybe if DC fans grab hold of the Dreamstone and wish really hard…
