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But it’s the death of Gadot’s Wonder Woman threequel and possibly Momoa’s Aquaman franchise after next year that makes this kind of startling.
While 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 left critics and audiences divided over its quality, the Jenkins-helmed sequel was never really tested by the box office since it became the first studio tentpole released onto streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic (Christmas Day 2020 to be exact). However, its predecessor, Wonder Woman (2017) was one of the high points in the superhero genre for many during the 2010s. The film had a dazzling 4x multiplier (meaning it made four times its opening weekend gross in overall domestic box office), suggesting a wild word-of-mouth that few superhero movies have enjoyed. It also made Gadot a major star.
For that reason, she also was seen as one of the most valuable players of the DCEU stable, with most of the casting deriving from Zack Snyder-directed and produced films released between 2013 and 2017 (hence the term “the SnyderVerse”). Apparently, Gadot was lined up for a $20 million payday for Wonder Woman 3 (and Jenkins would’ve been paid $12 million) in addition to backend deals. Yet a little over five years after they set Hollywood on fire, it appears Warner Bros. Discovery is closing the gates in Gadot and Jenkins’ faces.
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Gadot might have implicitly confirmed this as, before the story broke, she posted yesterday on Twitter, “A few years ago it was announced that I was going to play Wonder Woman. I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to play such an incredible, iconic character and more than anything I’m grateful for YOU. The fans. Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you.”
Similarly, it seems an unlikely coincidence that shortly before THR suggests DC Studios is unhappy with the performance of last October’s Black Adam, which not-so-subtly set up Dwayne Johnson and Cavill to star in a Black Adam/Superman crossover down the road, Johnson tweeted today: “Waited to confirm with financiers before I shared this excellent #BlackAdam news – our film will PROFIT between $52M-$72M. Fact.” (THR claimed WB took a bath on Black Adam.)
While both Johnson and Gadot seem hopeful about their futures with playing these characters, they each seem prepared to defend legacies that may be on the verge of getting cut short. In truth, it feels like we’re at the end of a Scorsese movie where everyone’s getting whacked or going to jail.
