It would be an understatement to say that there is a lot of anticipation for Wonder Woman. After years of being kept in development hell, the superheroine is finally getting her own live-action movie thanks to the creation of the DC Cinematic Universe, where she’ll be played by Fast & Furious 6 actress Gal Gadot. News regarding Wonder Woman's progress has been light (aside from costume rumors), but unfortunately the film just suffered a setback by losing its director.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Michelle MacLaren has dropped out of directing Wonder Woman due to "creative differences." MacLaren, who has directed episodes of hit TV shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, was first hired back in November to helm the Amazon warrior’s solo adventure. Wonder Woman would have been MacLaren’s theatrical directing debut. This is the second time a female filmmaker has left a comic book blockbuster in recent years, following Patty Jenkins’ departure from Thor: The Dark World a few years ago.
With production reportedly beginning this fall, Warner Bros still has some time to find a suitable replacement, but it’s still disconcerting to hear that Michelle MacLaren has left. Given Wonder Woman’s status as arguably the most famous female superhero of all time, it’s important that the film be done right, so to hear that things aren’t going well behind-the-scenes may have fans worried. This situation is also somewhat reminiscent of Edgar Wright’s departure from Ant-Man, although fortunately MacLaren didn’t dedicate eight years of her life to Wonder Woman before leaving. It’s unclear whether Warner Bros will search for another female to replace her, or open the job to male candidates as well, but they will need to work fast if they want to stay on schedule.
Although Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will debut in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and appear in both Justice League films, there’s little we know about her solo film. No writer has been announced yet, although it was rumored last year that six different scripts had been commissioned, and aside from a report that Scott Eastwood may be playing Steve Trevor, we don’t know who any of the supporting characters will be. Back in December, MacLaren even suggested that the film hadn’t even officially been green-lit yet. Who knows, now that her business with DC is concluded, maybe Marvel might try to snatch her up for Captain Marvel.
Despite this creative setback, Wonder Woman is still slated to hit theaters on June 23, 2017, although that may be subject to change should finding anothe director prove troublesome. We'll keep you apprised of any developments on Wonder Woman's solo movie.
