Wonder Woman 3 was greenlit hot off the release of Wonder Woman 1984 this past Christmas. The film was delayed numerous times due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and was eventually released on HBO Max. Nonetheless, the film turned out to be a hit for the streaming service, even if the critics did not appreciate it as much as the first film. You can check out our review of the film here.
“As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real-life Wonder Women, Gal and Patty, who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy,”
Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group
Gal Gadot has recently taken to Twitter to ramp up excitement for the threequel. Posting a thank you to fans celebrating the fourth anniversary of the original films’ release.
Wonder Woman came out 4 years ago and changed my life..Thank you all so much for the love, I’m forever grateful for this amazing opportunity and I promise we will always do everything to keep and tell Wonder Woman’s story in the best way possible.
Love and Peace!#WonderWoman3 pic.twitter.com/ULbIfgeO7I— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) June 2, 2021
Still, the film does not have a script nor a director, with the only guarantee being the return of Gadot as the Amazonian hero and that it would be set during modern times. Due to the numerous delays of Wonder Woman 1984 by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Jenkins is no longer sure of whether she’d be the one to direct Wonder Woman 3. In a recent interview with Cinemablend, the filmmaker said:
“It’s interesting, I actually came up with a story, and Geoff Johns and I beat out an entire story for Wonder Woman 3 that we were super fired up about, but I’ve never felt this way before as much as I do now. I don’t think I’m doing it next and so, I sort of have to wait and see where we are in the world, you know? What I wanted to talk about in Wonder Woman 1984 was very prescient to what I was feeling and what you were feeling was coming. So now I’m not sure. So much has changed in the world. I still love the story that we came up with, I’m sure that parts of it would come over to it, but it’s very interesting. I’m trying to say, ‘Don’t decide. Don’t fall in love with anything, see what Wonder Woman would do now. What are you craving Wonder Woman to do in this world?'”
Patty Jenkins
So what would be a good direction for this franchise to take? Well, with any superhero adaptation it’s best to look to the source material. Wonder Woman 3 should adapt the Justice League Season 1 two-part episode “Fury”. Replacing the rogue Amazonian villain Aresia with Asteria and Doctor Poison. In a nutshell, the plot of the episode involved Aresia combining biology, chemistry, and magic to create a disease that would wipe out the world’s entire male population. This plot could work on a few levels. First, we know that Doctor Poison survived and escaped at the end of Wonder Woman. Zack Snyder originally intended for the character to reappear in his Justice League sequel, having retreated to the forests of Brazil. Continuing her heinous experiments on humans and using her expertise in toxicology to keep herself alive for well over a hundred years. This plot point could be used to explain how she is still around during the modern era. She would provide the scientific components of the plan. Second, we also know that Asteria is alive and roaming the world. As Themyscira’s greatest warrior, she could be holding a millennia-long grudge against mankind for enslaving her sisters. Since she never returned to her sisters, she was assumed to have perished during their escape. She could have been using her time devising a magical plan to kill all men so that the Amazonians no longer have to hide on the island and can rule the world in an all-female paradise. While not as strong as the demigoddess Diana, her combat skills may give her the edge in battle. Lastly, if the disease is released and Wonder Woman spends most of the film trying to reverse the effects that would take every other member of the Justice League out of commission. This would make sense why she has no help during this adventure. Unless she decides to team up with Mera, but she is only a member in the Knightmare timeline. I feel this is the perfect story that can tie all three films in the franchise together. As well as acknowledge the original television series by bringing back Lynda Carter as a villain.
Even with a great story such as the one just presented, there is still the uncertain future of the DCEU, with Warner Bros. not having a definite plan in place for their cinematic universe. On top of that WarnerMedia just combined with Discovery to create Warner Bros. Discovery which could shake things up even further. The production timeline for Wonder Woman 3 is also unclear. Patty Jenkins’ next film is Rogue Squadron, a new Star Wars film, which according to the official Star Wars website will “introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.” The film is currently slated for Christmas 2023 theatrical release. Jenkins is also set to direct Cleopatra, which is in development at Paramount, with Gal Gadot starring as the titular historical Egyptian pharaoh. If Jenkins were to return it would set Wonder Woman 3 to release in 2024 at the earliest.
Are you excited for Wonder Woman 3? Do you want Patty Jenkins to return to direct? Who do you want to be the villain? What do you think the title of the film will be? Leave your comments below!