Wonder Woman Reboot Must Keep This Proven Success Formula

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James Gunn is not shy about sharing upcoming projects in the DC Universe; he recently announced a new Wonder Woman film that could draw upon one of the stronger elements of Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the heroine.

It’s quite daring to restart the character of Diana Prince so soon. Keep in mind that “Wonder Woman 1984” came out only a short time ago, practically draining all the energy built around her in the DC Extended Universe. Still, Gunn understands the power of Wonder Woman. In fact, David Zaslav, CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery, expressed his support for this move as early as May 2025.

James Gunn and Peter Safran’s ten-year plan focuses on creating major DC characters. The aim is to boost our global value by making these characters, such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and Supergirl, recognizable worldwide. We view them as significant assets that will set us apart.

With the backing of those in high positions, Gunn is likely going to bring on some new talent to give Wonder Woman another try. A new actor will step into the role, a fresh storyline will be created for the character, and this change may happen swiftly. In the planning stages, the creative minds behind the movie will want to reject any ideas that resemble the DCEU’s narrative. However, they should take care not to abandon everything the franchise did well with Diana, as there is at least one aspect where the series got it right.

Wonder Woman Will Always Flourish in a Period Piece

To make certain that Wonder Woman could seamlessly join the cast of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder opted to establish her as an active figure within his universe prior to the events of the film. For years, she had been observing humanity, and it was only when she stepped into the public eye during the battle against Doomsday that we first saw her in action.

Director Patty Jenkins continued the narrative, focusing on Diana’s departure from Themyscira and her entry into World War I. The ‘fish-out-of-water’ aspect was effectively utilized as the soldiers underestimated the main character, providing an advantage in her battles against adversaries.

In the movie “Wonder Woman 1984”, just like how Ares, the God of War, underestimated Wonder Woman in a conflict, leading to his defeat, Maxwell Lord also misjudged Wonder Woman’s capabilities due to her past as a battle-hardened hero. However, despite his newfound power and belief that he knew best, Lord was ultimately defeated by Wonder Woman. Instead of resorting to force, she appealed to his humanity, convincing him to reverse all the harm he had caused.

With the lessons learned, Diana re-entered the realm of mankind and offered a fresh viewpoint during her battles alongside Batman, Superman, and the Justice League (check out Gunn’s interpretation of the team in the DCU). It would be advantageous for the DCU to adopt a similar strategy, considering that Superman is immersed in a world brimming with heroes. Instead of just being another figure among many, Wonder Woman must stand as one of the key figures spearheading the hero movement.

A simple method to make certain this occurs is by designing a completely distinct experience for Diana. Gunn and his team can avoid sending her back to World War I or the 1980s, as it’s already established in the DCU that humanity has been familiar with metahumans for over 300 years.

There’s plenty of flexibility to establish Diana’s standalone film within the series, in an era that hasn’t been explored before in live-action superhero productions.

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2025-06-11 18:34