With Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman potentially joining the DCU in Wonder Woman 3, how can the movie avoid the pitfalls of Wonder Woman 1984?

•  Wonder Woman 3 should be set in the modern day, allowing the film to retain successful elements from the previous movies while avoiding the flaws of Wonder Woman 1984.
•  Patty Jenkins, the director of the first two Wonder Woman movies, should return for Wonder Woman 3, as her direction and passion for the character were not problems in the second film.
•  Bringing back Steve Trevor and other beloved supporting characters would add depth to Wonder Woman 3 and provide opportunities for future installments, while also aligning with the new DC Universe narrative.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is all but confirmed to be joining the new DC Universe in the in-development Wonder Woman 3, presenting a chance to alter Diana Prince’s story after the critical and commercial failure of Wonder Woman 1984. 2017’s Wonder Woman is one of the most successful films in the DC Extended Universe, cementing Gal Gadot’s iteration of Wonder Woman as both a cultural icon and a faithful cinematic adaptation of Wonder Woman from DC’s comics. Wonder Woman 1984, however, was a commercial failure (due in part to the covid-19 pandemic) with a more mixed reception by critics and viewers. The upcoming Wonder Woman 3 can change this, however.

With James Gunn and Peter Safran giving DC films a soft reboot in the form of the new DCU, the futures of certain DCEU stars has been unclear, including that of Gal Gadot. In a recent interview, however, Gadot stated that she looks forward to continuing to play Wonder Woman and that she has been working with Gunn and Safran on developing a third Wonder Woman movie for the new universe. Since previous DCEU properties are not fully canon to the DCU, this allows Wonder Woman 3 to retain the elements that worked in the 2017 film while avoiding what did not work in 1984.

10Set Wonder Woman 3 In The Modern Day

The DCEU’s Wonder Woman never had a solo film set in the present day, as her first movie took place in World War I, and its sequel was set in the 1980s. With her previous outings no longer canon, Wonder Woman 3 should be set in the modern day yet retain characters and plot elements of the 2017 film. Steve Trevor would have still crash-landed on Themyscira, for instance, but he would now be an ARGUS agent as he is in the current comics. This also allows other supporting characters like Etta Candy to remain in the franchise while tying Diana’s adventures more closely to the larger DCU narrative.

9Have Patty Jenkins Direct Wonder Woman 3

Whatever Wonder Woman 1984’s faults were, Patty Jenkins’s direction, like Gal Gadot’s performance, was not one of the film’s problems. Jenkins’s directorial style and passion for the Wonder Woman character make her one of the best possible choices for a third Wonder Woman movie, and Jenkins herself has voiced interest in returning to the franchise after Wonder Woman 3’s initial iteration was canceled. Patty Jenkins deserves another chance at directing a Wonder Woman movie, this time in the new DCU franchise.

8Bring Back Steve Trevor (& Keep Him Alive)

One of the most beloved elements of both Wonder Woman movies was the chemistry between Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. With Wonder Woman 3 taking place in the soft-rebooted DCU, there is no longer any need to explain why Pine’s iteration of Trevor is alive. Trevor would simply not have died in the first place, and with the film taking place in the modern day, he would continue to be one of Wonder Woman’s most important supporting characters in future installments.

7Introduce Iconic Wonder Woman Supporting Characters

2017’s Wonder Woman introduced the “Wonder Men” as Diana’s World War I-era allies. In addition to Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, and Etta Candy, the team also included three original characters, but they soon found their way into the post-Re𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 Wonder Woman comics, now reimagined as the ARGUS task force called The Oddfellows. Diana’s teammates from the DCEU can now return to the DCU as The Oddfellows as well, but they are not the only iconic Wonder Woman supporting character that Wonder Woman 3 can introduce.

6Build The Wonder Woman Family

Diana Prince also has a “Wonder Woman Family” of superpowered sidekicks and allies in the comics, all of whom are worth bringing into the DCU. Donna Troy, Cassie Sandsmark, Nubia, Artemis, and Yara Flor could all be set up by Wonder Woman 3 and its succeeding installments. This would not only please readers of the Wonder Woman comics, but it would also provide Wonder Woman 3 and future films with fascinating character and story opportunities, including potentially setting up DCU adaptations of the Teen Titans comics.

5Use Greg Rucka’s Re𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 Run As Inspiration

When James Gunn announced the DCU’s upcoming slate of films and TV shows, each property was notably tied to a specific comic run, with the upcoming The Brave and the Bold taking inspiration from Grant Morrison’s Batman stories, for instance. Greg Rucka’s critically-acclaimed Wonder Woman comic run ran for four arcs and reintroduced Wonder Woman to the post-Re𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 DC Universe while also telling a dramatic story involving Ares, his sons (Phobos and Deimos), Veronica Cale, and Cheetah (Barbara Ann Minerva). Rucka’s comic run would be the perfect basis for Wonder Woman 3, and not only for its acclaimed story.

4Make Wonder Woman’s Soft Reboot Part Of The Story

Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman also made the DC Comics universe’s soft reboot part of Diana’s story. Wonder Woman dealt with the fallout of her New 52 adventures no longer being canon, as she retained memories of events that were revealed to have been fabricated. In Wonder Woman 3’s case, Diana could have fleeting memories of the old DCEU, addressing the fact that she was part of the old franchise but now finds herself in the new one with new versions of Superman and Batman.

3Continue To Adapt Wonder Woman’s Most Famous Villains

2017’s Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 both faithfully brought iconic DC villains to life, something that Wonder Woman 3 must continue. In addition to Phobos, Deimos, and Veronica Cale, Wonder Woman 3 could also either introduce or set up the live-action debut of villains like Circe and Silver Swan. Moreover, by being a soft reboot of the Wonder Woman franchise, Wonder Woman 3 can have Ares and the other Olympians alive once again, with the God of War (and Zeus) being integral to the characterization of Cassie Sandsmark.

2Keep Some Elements Of Wonder Woman 1 & 2 Canon

Gal Gadot’s previous Wonder Woman movies will not be canon to the DCU’s Wonder Woman 3, but this does not mean that the new film cannot retain some elements of the previous outings. In addition to keeping beloved supporting characters like the Wonder Men (albeit reimagined), Wonder Woman 3 can also bring back DCEU cast members as new versions of their respective characters. Along with Chris Pine returning as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig and David Thewlis could reprise their roles as Cheetah and Ares, respectively.

1Give Wonder Woman A Small Role In Paradise Lost

The only Wonder Woman property officially announced for the DCU thus far is Paradise Lost, a Themyscira-set prequel TV series. Wonder Woman herself is not expected to appear in the series, as it takes place before Diana’s 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, but Gal Gadot can return to the Wonder Woman role in Paradise Lost in a limited capacity to set up her starring role in Wonder Woman 3. By having Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman cameo at the end of the series or perhaps bookend the show’s main story, Paradise Lost would be confirming her upcoming role in the DC Universe and prepare viewers for the next Wonder Woman solo movie.