The DCU Has Already Quietly Erased Wonder Woman

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James Gunn’s new DC Universe is getting off to a great beginning. The Superman movie released in 2025 was a hit, earning $616 million despite costing only $225 million to make, and critics generally liked it. The next film, Supergirl, looks promising, and we hope it does just as well. However, the plans for DC films over the next few years do have one concerning element.

Currently, only three DC Universe films have set release dates. Supergirl and Clayface are scheduled for 2026, and a Superman team-up movie, Man of Tomorrow, will follow in 2027. By the time Man of Tomorrow comes out, three out of every four DCU films will focus on Superman or characters closely related to him. This limited range of stories could prevent the DCU from achieving the same success as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s why making Wonder Woman‘s big-screen debut a priority is crucial.

One of the DCU’s Four Most Important Heroes Has Yet to Appear

During a 2025 financial discussion, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav announced that Superman, Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman would be the core heroes of the new DC Universe. James Gunn later emphasized how vital these characters were to the beginning of this cinematic world. However, aside from a quick glimpse, neither Batman nor Wonder Woman has actually appeared in any DCU projects so far.

A new Batman and Robin movie, called The Brave and the Bold, is planned, along with a Wonder Woman film that doesn’t have a title yet. However, it’s unclear when production will begin on any of these projects. While James Gunn’s decision to only move forward with scripts he approves of is a good one overall, it means the DC Universe’s release schedule is a bit uncertain. Gunn has mentioned that Supergirl wasn’t initially intended to be the second film released.

While Batman continues to appear in projects outside the main DC Universe, like The Batman and its sequel, his absence isn’t a major loss for the DCU. However, Wonder Woman embodies a crucial part of the superhero world – magic – that the DCU hasn’t explored much. The DCU has focused heavily on heroes and villains with powers from science, but magic has been scarce, appearing only with characters like Circe in Creature Commandos and…

Wonder Woman Will Showcase a Neglected Aspect of the DCU

As a big fan, I’ve always loved how Wonder Woman’s origin is a bit flexible – she’s either a demigoddess or magically created from clay! Because her stories are so rooted in Greek myths, they always feel more like classic fantasy than sci-fi. I think it’s really important that the DCU establishes magic as a real thing early on, so when it shows up in other projects, it doesn’t feel random or forced. It needs to feel like a natural part of the world.

Marvel understood this, which is why they introduced Thor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Asgardian prince provided a balance to the more scientifically-focused heroes like Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America, and his presence paved the way for future stories to explore the mystical elements of the MCU.

While a new Wonder Woman movie shouldn’t be hurried, the character can still be mentioned in other upcoming DC projects. For example, the upcoming Supergirl film could acknowledge that, in the comics, Supergirl once lived and trained with Wonder Woman on Themyscira. If the villain Circe reappears in a future film, she could reference her past conflict with Wonder Woman. Highlighting Wonder Woman’s connection to the mystical side of the DC Universe would solidify her importance within it.

Wonder Woman, along with Supergirl, Superman, and Batman, could each serve as a gateway to different parts of the DC Universe. Supergirl will primarily explore space, Superman will handle massive global crises, Batman will focus on gritty, street-level stories, and Wonder Woman will be the key to stories involving magic. These four heroes can act as the foundation for everything else DC builds, but it’s crucial that Wonder Woman’s story begins quickly to make that possible.

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2026-01-18 20:16