James Gunn and Peter Safran allegedly reject Wonder Woman 3; Gunn floats fan-favorite DC characters in what looks like the beginning of a wild ride.
In a Hollywood Reporter article published by damn near every news outlet on Thursday, it was reported that James Gunn and Peter Safran had rejected Patty Jenkins’ latest treatment for Wonder Woman 3.
The article by Hollywood Reporter and gazillion subsequent clickbait recycled pieces that popped up in Google News all day said the same thing: James Gunn is ending the Synderverse as we know it.
Related: Is Man of Steel (2013) One of the Best Films From the DCEU?
However, Gunn quickly dismissed the report (at least partially).
So. As for the story yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter, 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.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 8, 2022
Honestly, it’s hard to believe James Gunn and crew intend to axe Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman entirely. In a DCU ripe with rotten tomatoes, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam are three breakout hits that already have a solid fan base.
And despite David Zaslav pissing off the entire world this summer with full-stop cancellations of Batgirl and more, the Warner-Bros CEO exercised extraordinary restraint amid calls to kill a project he seems to have a lot of faith in, Ezra Miller’s The Flash.
The fact that Zaslav pulled back from calls to cut Ezra’s film from the DC lineup despite his legal troubles says one thing: fiduciary duty to Warner-Bros shareholders. You know, the kind of duty that would give Zaslav pause before agreeing to completely kill Gal Gadot’s iteration of Wonder Woman.
What is more likely is that James Gunn pushed back on Jenkins’ script. And who can blame him? Wonder Woman was terrific; Wonder Woman 2? Not so much.
Even considering the audience score as a more appropriate barometer for how long a film will stay popular among viewers, Wonder Woman 2 still pulls in less than 75 percent; a score we believe even Cocaine Bear will net after getting a glimpse of the hilarious new trailer.
For his part, Gunn tried to thread the needle on social.
We know we are not going to make every single person happy every step of the way, but we can promise everything we do is done in the service of the STORY & in the service of the DC CHARACTERS we know you cherish and we have cherished our whole lives.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 8, 2022
Ultimately, Gunn can’t elaborate much, and it’s best to give him the time he needs. As most comic book movie fans know, DC characters have been brutal to interpret on screen (except Tim Burton and Chris Nolan’s Batmen).
James Gunn is the right man for the job
Last summer, we argued that Warner-Bros would get lean under Zaslav, which, despite all the outcry on social amid a flurry of cancellations, is a good thing given the inevitable belt-tightening that’s coming as the streaming wars wind down. This morning, CNET published a piece enumerating why “the party is over” for streaming, but Zaslav saw the writing on the wall months ago.
Warner-Bros has enough IP to keep things fresh on Max (HBO Max’s new name once its technical merger with Discovery+ is complete). But to make it fit James Gunn’s style, he’s going to get weird.
As for more answers about the future of the DCU, I will sadly have to ask you to wait. We are giving these characters & the stories the time & attention they deserve & we ourselves still have a lot more questions to ask & answer. pic.twitter.com/sxwKGRD3vc
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 8, 2022
On Thursday afternoon, Gunn posted an image with members of the Justice League that included Black Canary, Hawkman, Shazam, Wonder Woman, Superman, Atom, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.
However, he also gave us a bit of surprise insight (which set fans off on Twitter).
THEY ALL DESERVE TO LIVE. pic.twitter.com/E3RJD8ZOAl
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 7, 2022
Are we about to get a Bureau of Amplified Animals film? Could we see a Shadowpact script? We just got our first look at Cosmo in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and Gunn could personally be credited with making Rocket the coolest raccoon mother-lover in the Milky Way. Where is the ceiling for this cinematic universe if Gunn can make DC’s weirdest characters stick with the general pop?
Only Gunn can pull this off, and we honestly can’t wait to see what he is up to. But audiences need to exercise patience. Dud after dud, DC fans have waited for proper treatment of DC’s expansive universe but kept getting the same dudes in capes with daddy issues.
Let’s give Gunn the space he needs to get this right. In Gunn, Speramus.