The future of Wonder Woman on the big screen is uncertain, and fans are understandably anxious. But what does Patty Jenkins, the director who brought Diana Prince to life in such a memorable way, think about the upcoming DC Studios reboot? Does she envision herself returning to the Amazonian princess's world? Let's dive in and see what she had to say!
First, let's rewind a bit. After Wonder Woman's explosive debut in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gal Gadot's portrayal of Diana truly shone in 2017's Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins, the film was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike, raking in a whopping $823 million worldwide. It seemed like the beginning of a beautiful superhero saga. Then came Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020. While initial reviews were positive, the film's reception cooled off considerably, eventually landing it in "Rotten" territory on review aggregators. Add to that the challenges of releasing a movie during a pandemic, and the film only managed to gross $169 million. Ouch.
Originally, there were plans for Wonder Woman 3, which would have placed the Amazonian warrior in the present day. However, those plans were scrapped when DC Studios was formed under new leadership. A TV series called Paradise Lost, set on Themyscira long before Diana's birth, also seems to be on indefinite hold. However, there's a glimmer of hope: Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira is reportedly working on a new Wonder Woman movie script. So, the character is still a priority for DC Studios.
Recently, Jenkins was directly asked if she would consider directing this new Wonder Woman reboot. Her response? "At the moment, I am so excited with what I am doing, and it's always good to do something new," she said. She also added, "[I] loved making superhero movies...you never know, but I am having a good time." So, while she's not ruling it out entirely, it sounds like she's currently focused on other projects. It's a diplomatic answer, to be sure.
But here's where it gets controversial... Rumor has it that neither Jenkins nor Gal Gadot were thrilled about the cancellation of Wonder Woman 3. And let's be honest, fan opinions on Jenkins's contributions are definitely split. Some see her as the visionary who delivered a near-perfect Wonder Woman origin story. Others feel that Wonder Woman 1984 missed the mark, tarnishing her reputation. That makes it a 50/50 split in the eyes of many fans – a great first film, a less-than-great sequel. What do you think? Was Wonder Woman 1984 unfairly judged, or did it genuinely fall short of expectations?
It's worth noting that several other directors are reportedly in the running for the Wonder Woman reboot, including Craig Gillespie (Supergirl), Kate Herron (Loki, The Last of Us), Nicole Kassell (Watchmen), Toby Haynes (Andor), Leigh Janiak (Netflix's Fear Street trilogy), Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), Rachel Morrison (The Mandalorian), Megan Park (My Old Ass), Jason Reitman (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and even Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite). That's quite a list!
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn addressed the Wonder Woman situation earlier this year, stating, "I've always had Wonder Woman as a priority. But we got the first few things started, and there’s some other things that are really close to green-lighting – like there’s a television show that I hope that we’re gonna be green-lighting in the next few days."
Gunn further elaborated, "So now a little time has passed, and we really need Wonder Woman and we really need Batman, because they’re so important to us. And so it’s become a little bit more like going to everybody at DC and being like, we need to figure this out. We have good writers on Wonder Woman and we just have to make sure it’s working and they have to not be somebody who’s gonna take two years to write a script," highlighting the urgency and importance of these characters to the future of DC Studios.
So, what does all this mean for the future of Wonder Woman? It's clear that DC Studios recognizes the character's importance and is actively working on a reboot. Whether Patty Jenkins returns to the director's chair remains to be seen, but the studio has a wealth of talented filmmakers to choose from. The real question is: What kind of Wonder Woman story do you want to see? Should they stick closer to the tone and themes of the first film, or should they take the character in a completely new direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
