Lynda Carter recently gave a disappointing update on Wonder Woman 3 and, in doing so, expressed her confusion at why the DC Universe chose to table the franchise.
The DCU underwent a massive shakeup after Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav appointed James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new co-CEOs of the cinematic universe. Considering its lack of connectivity and numerous critical and commercial flops, the universe was in dire need of an overhaul. However, there were still some components of the old regime that viewers would have liked to see the transition to the new one, primarily Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince (a.k.a. Wonder Woman) and Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman). While Cavill quickly announced his recasting, the status of Gadot’s Wonder Woman remained uncertain for a while.
When Gunn and Safran took over, Wonder Woman 3 had already been greenlit, with Gadot and director Patty Jenkins set to return. Gunn had also suggested he was open to Gadot returning to the franchise as Wonder Woman. Eventually, the film was officially shelved, though no real reason was given aside from the changes at DCU and vague reports that it didn’t fit with the new regime. For a brief moment, hope was renewed when Gadot claimed Gunn explicitly told her the movie was going forward, but it seems someone (probably Warner Bros.) lied about the situation, and reports once again quelled rumors of the movie’s development. Now Carter, who portrayed Wonder Woman in the 1975 live-action TV series, is weighing in on the canceled DCU movie.
Lynda Carter provides disappointing update on Wonder Woman 3
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Carter commented on the status of Wonder Woman 3. Unfortunately, she doesn’t think there’s much hope for the movie going forward “unless there’s enough pressure from fans.” Of course, given how hard fans have already been lobbying for the movie, it’s difficult to see how much more pressure could be applied to the studio. Even Carter admitted that the problem is that the DCU simply doesn’t “have the mind to do” the movie.
Carter says she can’t make sense of the studio’s reluctance to make Wonder Woman 3. She pointed out how unique Wonder Woman is compared to the average superhero. The character’s fight for peace and immense inner strength made her different and gave the franchise much potential to differentiate itself from the superhero genre. She told Yahoo Entertainment:
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.
Carter went on to tease the story of Wonder Woman 3, hinting that it was “about something important” and wouldn’t be the typical superhero film. However, she concluded, “But they [the DCU] don’t want anyone else to make it.” Her confusion at Warner Bros.’ and the DCU’s decision is understandable. The first Wonder Woman movie was arguably the best film the DCU ever made. Although the sequel Wonder Woman 1984 was a box office flop, that wasn’t a very fair assessment of the franchise’s potential since it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, with superhero fatigue setting in, Wonder Woman is the kind of franchise that could have offered a breath of fresh air to the genre.
Viewers were especially excited because Carter was to have a major role as Asteria in Wonder Woman 3. The actress is not very active in Hollywood anymore, but she confirmed, “Anything Patty [Jenkins] asked me to do, I wouldn’t refuse.” It has now been 50 years since Carter donned her iconic Wonder Woman suit onscreen for the first time, and Wonder Woman 3 would’ve been an incredible way to honor her legacy and impact on the character’s history. Meanwhile, the frustration over Wonder Woman 3‘s cancellation only continues to grow as even those within the industry can’t explain the movie’s shelving other than that the studio just seemingly didn’t want to do it.
(featured image: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty)
