After Peter Safran and James Gunn were named co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios, they decided to enact a new vision. With that, they opted to move away from the DC Extended Universe canon launched by Man of Steel and start the DCU. Of course, those changes have kept the fates of a few established heroes from the movies in question, including Gal Gadot's Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman, While another installment in the character's franchise seemed to be on the way, WW3 isn’t in the works at the studio right now. Amid continued speculation regarding what lies ahead for Diana on the big screen, Lynda Carter is weighing in on why a third movie isn’t moving forward right now.
Before the sequel Wonder Woman: 1984 was released simultaneously in theaters and on Max in 2020, director Patty Jenkins revealed she had plans for a third movie and knew how the eponymous heroine's arc would end. However, WW84 ultimately received mixed to negative reviews and didn't make a dent at the box office (amid the thick of COVID and due to the simultaneous release). Now, as the series remains in limbo, Lynda Carter told Yahoo! Entertainment that she believes DC and Warner Bros. lack the motivation to complete the story:
I don’t think they want to do it unless there’s enough pressure from fans. I just don’t think they have the mind to do it. And I don’t understand that, because it seems to me that Wonder Woman is different from other characters. She’s not just a superhero. Her whole thing is about peaceful solutions. She’s not aggressive to be aggressive. It’s a different story. It’s about inner strength, outer strength. I don’t know why they tabled it, because it’s a great franchise.
I don’t understand why the character wouldn’t be considered a priority for the DC anymore, either. Yes, 1984 didn't hit expectations, but Gal Gadot's Diana herself still seems to be popular amongst fans. The franchise has also built up some goodwill over the years, despite the sequel's performance. When the first Wonder Woman came out, it was even considered the best DCEU movie so far by some. It was indeed a breath of fresh air compared to the usual “unlikely hero” trope of feeling obligated to take responsibility for their powers. So I have to say that I'm with Ms. Carter on this one.
In December 2020, Wonder Woman 3 seemed to make progress, as it was announced that Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins would return for the threequel. It even seemed possible that Lynda Carter was going to have a role in the potential film after her kickass cameo appearance as Amazonian warrior Asteria in the second installment.
However, it was revealed a year later that a third WW wasn’t happening anymore. Patty Jenkins was told, at the time, that her story treatment “did not fit in with the new (but still unfolding) plans” the studio had. Said plans are taking shape as we speak, with the franchise's movie slate is set to kick off with the upcoming Superman movie from writer/director James Gunn. Said production is said to fly into cinemas in July 2025. Chances are Diana Prince may appear in this new continuity at some point, but it seems very unlikely that Gal Gadot will be wielding the lasso when that happens.
According to Lynda Carter, fans could be pivotal to helping to make an actual Wonder Woman 3 happen. In all honesty, they may not truly turn the tide, especially considering that James Gunn and co. seem to have firm plans. However, if people are truly passionate about a threequel, they can at least try to make their voices heard -- in a positive way that Diana would approve of, of course.
You can watch Gal Gadot in her two Wonder Woman movies as well as Lynda Carter’s iconic TV series using a Max subscription. You can also take a look at upcoming DC movies so you're up to date on what's coming down the DCU pipeline.
