Warner Bros. axes ‘Wonder Woman 3’ starring Gal Gadot

Wonder Woman is the new Batgirl.

Patty Jenkins‘ “Wonder Woman 3” starring Gal Gadot is not moving forward at Warner Bros., according to a Wednesday report from the Hollywood Reporter. The third instalment in the superhero saga is the latest DC project to be scrapped following the recent Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which has resulted in mass layoffs and a controversial creative overhaul.

Representatives for Warner Bros. did not immediately respond Thursday to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment.

According to anonymous sources cited by THR, director Jenkins recently submitted her plans for the sequel to DC Studios, now helmed by filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. In October, Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav hired the duo to spearhead a new, more unified strategy across film, television and animation.

Gunn and Safran were reportedly among the execs who broke the news to Jenkins by telling the filmmaker that her vision for “Wonder Woman 3” did not line up with their plans for the future of DC.

Jenkins’ last Wonder Woman film, “Wonder Woman 1984,” did well at the pandemic box office in December 2020 but was panned by critics. In 2017, the flagship “Wonder Woman” received rave reviews, made history as the first major superhero film directed by a woman (Jenkins) and scored the biggest domestic opening for a title directed by a woman.

“Wonder Woman” also helped launch the career of Gadot, who starred as the Amazonian warrior goddess in both of Jenkins’ comic book adaptations. According to THR, Gadot was set to earn $20 million for “Wonder Woman 3,” while Jenkins was slated to make $12 million, not including back end bonuses.

Representatives for Jenkins and Gadot did not immediately respond Thursday to the L.A. Times’ requests for comment.

The “Wonder Woman” news comes several months after Warner Bros. Discovery made the widely criticized decision to shelve DC’s “Batgirl,” which had already been shot and cost $90 million to make. The company has also purged a number of other live-action and animated titles tied to its streaming service, HBO Max.

On Monday, Gadot celebrated the anniversary of her casting as Wonder Woman on Twitter and Instagram, saying she couldn’t “wait to share her next chapter” with fans.

“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. The most amazing, warm, loving fans in the world,” she wrote. “I’m still pinching myself to see if I will wake up.”

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