Gal Gadot Has One Condition To Return As DC's Wonder Woman (And It's Totally Unrealistic)

Warner Bros. Discovery is in the midst of forming the new DC Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran have been the heads of DC Studios for a few years now, and though they've had some ups and downs, they're clearly trying to move on from what came before. Gal Gadot has confirmed she's done playing DC's Wonder Woman, which was already pretty darn clear. But just to make things needlessly complicated, she's now provided a single condition to return as the beloved superhero.

In a recent interview with JoBlo to promote her critically lambasted new Prime Video movie "The Runner," Gadot was asked what it would take for her to come back. To be crystal clear right up top, there is zero indication that Warner Bros. or DC Studios have any actual interest in bringing her back. Even setting that aside, it all goes out the window in light of her very unrealistic conduction. Here's what she had to say:

"If Zack [Snyder] comes back to run DC, I'll come back."

Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" kicked off DC's messy cinematic universe in 2013, around the time that Marvel was already firing on all cylinders after 2012's "The Avengers" became a game-changing blockbuster. From that point on, it always felt like DC was playing catch up. While Snyder's movies have very die hard devotees, the films have been intensely divisive since they were released.

It's also been years since Snyder worked for DC and Warner Bros. He's gone on to make movies like "Rebel Moon," which was more like a feature-length video game cutscene, for Netflix. Even if he has other DC stories he'd like to tell, he's moved on. It's time for Gadot to do the same.

2017's "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, was a watershed moment in the peak era of 2010s superhero cinema. It was a huge hit and showed that female-fronted comic book movies could be successful at the highest level. Gal Gadot previously had a sizable role as Diana Prince in 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," a movie I hated 10 years ago but have complicated feelings about now.

Later in 2017, Gadot appeared in "Justice League," a box office disaster that ultimately doomed the DCEU. It was a catastrophe behind the scenes; there's far too much to fully recap now, but Zack Snyder departed the movie and Joss Whedon oversaw extensive reshoots. Snyder later returned to finish his version, dubbed it "Zack Snyder's Justice League," which premiered on HBO Max in 2020. It cost WB at least another $70 million, and it would be tough to say that was a worthwhile investment.

Then, in 2020, Gadot returned in "Wonder Woman 1984," which was a major critical misfire that failed to deliver financially, in no small part due to the pandemic. Either way, it was far from a home run. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. closed the book on the DCEU entirely in 2023 following the release of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." What once was is in the rearview mirror, and that includes Gadot's Wonder Woman.

Henry Cavill is no longer Superman; David Corenswet is. Ben Affleck is no longer Batman; the character is going to be recast. While ending Affleck's run as Batman was a missed opportunity, it was the actor's choice to walk away. Soon, there will be a new Wonder Woman, too. Gadot's time in the role is well and truly over. Her even putting this out in the universe just feels wrong.

The Zack Snyder era of DC is something Warner Bros. wants to leave in the rearview mirror. It was only ever a divisive mess. It's by no means Gal Gadot's fault, but she's part of the DCEU. The theatrical cut of "Justice League" came out in 2017. It's damn near ancient history at this point.

It doesn't help that Gadot has done virtually nothing outside of "Wonder Woman" to aid her star power. "Red Notice" was a big hit for Netflix, but one that left zero cultural impact. "Death on the Nile" was one of the biggest box office flops of 2022. "Heart of Stone" was another pricey streaming movie that had no impact whatsoever. "Snow White" was a huge bomb. "The Runner" has been absolutely savaged by critics.

It makes total sense to look towards a new future for this beloved hero. "Andor" star Adria Arjona has been cast in the "Superman" sequel "Man of Tomorrow," and she's rumored to be playing the new Wonder Woman. She seems like a damn good fit for the role. It makes far more sense for WB to lean into a newer star on the rise, rather than reaching back to the past.

Snyder's fanbase is loud, but a minority. Going back to that well would be a fool's errand. Gadot's Wonder Woman was absolutely beloved for a time, but she has no place in the DC Universe as it exists. There's no sense in stirring up the "restore the Snyderverse" cries. Gadot recently threw shade at DC Studios over "Wonder Woman 3," among other things, clearly unhappy with how everything went down. Be that as it may, her return is beyond unlikely. Everyone needs to move on.

The new "Wonder Woman" movie doesn't currently have a release date, but stay tuned.