Gal Gadot appears increasingly ready to pass on Wonder Woman’s iconic lasso.
The actress portrayed Diana Prince for close to 10 years, first making a striking debut in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. From there, Gadot led two standalone Wonder Woman films and returned to the role in Justice League along with several other DC appearances. But after James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed control of DC Studios and began rebuilding the franchise into a new DC Universe, fans have continued to wonder whether Gadot’s version of the Amazon warrior could still have a place in that future.
For now, that possibility seems unlikely.
During a recent interview with ScreenRant while promoting her new Prime Video thriller The Runner, Gadot was inevitably asked about Wonder Woman and her potential DCU future. Asked whether she had been in talks with Gunn or DC Studios about returning as Diana — or even taking on a different character, much like Jason Momoa’s shift from Aquaman to Lobo — Gadot said there have not been “any specific conversations.”
When pressed on the last meaningful discussion she had about reprising the role, Gadot said it came when “they came to the studio, and they really wanted to develop the third one.”
Since then, she hasn’t “heard anything.”
That’s hardly an official goodbye, but Gadot’s comments about the next Wonder Woman sound pretty definitive. Rather than tease a possible return, she offered her support to whoever eventually steps into the role.
“This is such an incredible character that so many of us care about so much, so whoever it’s going to be to portray her, I wish for her that she enjoys this amazing ride with this amazing character,” said Gadot. “And I’m just grateful that I was granted the opportunity to wear her boots and celebrate this incredible character and everything she stands for.”
Gadot’s final appearances as Wonder Woman came as the previous DC universe was winding down. She popped up in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, and her cameo in Shazam! briefly gave fans reason to wonder whether there might still be a place for her in whatever came next.
That movie’s post-credits scene certainly didn’t hurt the speculation. It brought back Steve Agee‘s John Economos and Jennifer Holland‘s Emilia Harcourt, prompting some fans to wonder whether Shazam! was quietly establishing a connection to Gunn’s future DCU. Gunn later clarified that the scene wasn’t considered canon.
Until now, there hadn’t been much to report on Gadot’s status. Gunn had previously said that a new Wonder Woman hadn’t been cast, but neither he nor Gadot had offered much insight into whether she might eventually return.
The new Wonder Woman movie is still in development, with Ana Nogueira writing the script after her work on Supergirl. She’s also involved with the broader creative side of the new DCU, which is gradually filling in the gaps left by the franchise’s reboot.
That hasn’t stopped fans from imagining other ways Gadot could turn up in the DCU. Jason Momoa’s casting as Lobo in Supergirl made it clear that Gunn isn’t necessarily opposed to bringing familiar DC stars back in completely different roles. Gadot has subsequently been fancast as characters including Big Barda, Talia al Ghul and Poison Ivy.
For now, though, there’s no indication that any of those ideas are actually in the works. And considering Gadot’s comments, it sounds like she’s perfectly comfortable leaving Diana Prince behind.
After playing one of DC’s biggest characters for years, Gadot has also had plenty keeping her busy outside the superhero franchise, from Disney‘s live-action Snow White to Netflix‘s Heart of Stone and her upcoming Prime Video thriller The Runner.
Wonder Woman’s next chapter is coming. It just probably won’t have Gal Gadot in it.