WARNER BROS/Moviestore/Shutterstock Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Gal Gadot was not ousted from her Wonder Woman role, according to newly appointed DC Studios decision-maker James Gunn.
After Gunn and producer Peter Safran were named the new co-CEOs of DC Studios in October, updates came this month of some of their changes for the future of the comic book properties. Other than confirmation that Gadot’s Justice League costar Henry Cavill is no longer playing Superman, there were also reports that Wonder Woman 3, a planned conclusion to her standalone trilogy, was canceled.
Gunn, 56, responded to a person in the comment section of his Instagram post on Monday who claimed he and Safran made “the move to boot Cavill and Gadot,” which “doesn’t inspire confidence” in the future of the DC Universe.
Wrote Gunn, “I’m not sure where you’re getting that we ‘booted’ Gal.”
A rep for Gadot did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Days before reports of Wonder Woman 3‘s unclear future, Gadot, 37, wrote on social media that she “can’t wait to share her next chapter” of the character with fans. She added, “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. I’m still pinching myself to see if I will wake up.”
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Clay Enos/ Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot on the set of Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
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Gunn previously responded to the reports about the future of the Wonder Woman film franchise, tweeting that “some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, & some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not.” Multiple outlets reported that a script treatment from Patty Jenkins, the director who made the previous two Wonder Woman films, was denied by the new executives.
Jenkins, 51, then broke her silence on the reports, clarifying that she “never walked away” from the project and she was “open to considering anything asked of me.”
She added, “I do not want what has been a beautiful journey with WW to land on [a] negative note. I have loved and been so honored to be the person who got to make these last two Wonder Woman films. She is an incredible character. Living in and around her values makes one a better person every day. I wish her and her legacy an amazing future ahead, with or without me.”
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In his statement this week, Gunn said he and Safran “were aware” that there’d be “a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least,” as they reshape the DC Universe.
“Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts & integrity & always with the story in mind,” wrote Gunn, who directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel Studios, as well as the 2021 DC movie The Suicide Squad.
“No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions,” he added. “We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us. But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.”
