Rumor: Patty Jenkins Done with DC and Wonder Woman, Will Not Return for Third Movie
JB Augustine
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Aside from The Batman’s highly-anticipated teaser, Wonder Woman 1984 was all the rage at the recent DC FanDome, as the film is finally ready to come out after a pandemic and multiple delays while the Director and cast looked excited about releasing it to theaters.
But things might not be as sunny and optimistic behind-the-scenes.
According to YouTube’s Midnight’s Edge, trouble is brewing among the film’s production team that could put the future of Wonder Woman in jeopardy.
Though the film has not yet released, Wonder Woman 1984 already has people discussing a potential sequel, with Director Patty Jenkins herself explicitly expressing her interest in directing both a third film and an Amazonian spin-off series.
However, Jenkins discussed these plans before WarnerMedia decided to go all-in on their DC Cinematic Multiverse principle.
Related: Wonder Woman 1984’s New Trailer Debuts at DC FanDome, Gives Away Cheetah’s Final Look
Jenkins was once signed to direct Thor: The Dark World, but this fell through as Jenkins prefers to make movies that stand on their own.
Had Jenkins accepted the job with Marvel, she would’ve had to connect Thor: The Dark World to the rest of the MCU and contend with all the associated producer-related interference.
Despite its existence in another shared universe, Wonder Woman gave Jenkins a more ‘clean’ slate to work with. Former DCU architect Zack Snyder provided greater freedom for Jenkins to do what she wanted and tell her own story and kept the “integrations” of Batman v. Superman Snyder to a subtle minimum.
This turned out to be a wise career decision for Jenkins, as Wonder Woman is now hailed as one of the most successful DC Extended Universe installments, both critically and financially.
A sequel was quickly greenlit, and Jenkins enjoyed more creative freedom due to Snyder’s continuity being temporarily scrapped.
Related: Wonder Woman 1984 Creators Confirm A Few Rumors, Provide More Details On The Film
Meanwhile, AT&T moved to acquire Time Warner and DC, and though it seemed for a short period as if films separated from an overarching universe would be the new direction for the classic comic book properties.
Yet, moves behind the scenes, spearheaded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Henry “The Man of Steel” Cavill manager Dany Garcia, urged Warner Brothers to hold onto what Snyder built and led them to look favorably towards completion of the then-rumored Snyder Cut of Justice League and greenlight the production for HBO Max.
Related: Deborah Snyder Reveals Snyder Cut Scene Between Wonder Woman and Lois Lane
In short, this means the Snyderverse is coming back, whether anyone likes it or not.
This development – which also brings Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck back as their respective Batmans – may not sit well with Jenkins.
Mikey Sutton told Midnight’s Edge of a brewing conflict between Jenkins and the studio, as the director wishes to keep the directive and creative freedom she enjoyed on Wonder Woman 1984.
Jenkins has the story for a third film, possibly her last, “mapped out”, but Diana’s trilogy may remain uncompleted “depending on how things play out”.
Related: Rumor: AT&T Wants Man Of Steel Sequel With Henry Cavill
If streaming overtakes theater-going and the Snyder Cut is a hit – and only “if it’s a hit,” Sutton stresses – AT&T will want to revisit a shared universe, or multiverse, once again crafted by Snyder.
The requested connections and references to the greater DC Cinematic Multiverse are rumored to be too high of an ask for Jenkins, and if Jenkins has to integrate a third film with any shared continuity, there may be no price or agreement that could be offered to keep Jenkins around for any further films.
Now, this isn’t all totally verified, so keep in mind to apply adequate grains of salt when discussing this potential turmoil.
As the Snyder Cut of Justice League isn’t guaranteed to become a hit (though hopefully, it is), much less relaunch a DC cinematic universe of any kind, it may be safe to assume that its success would have limited ramifications for a third Wonder Woman adventure.
What do you think? Is Jenkins more likely to stay on for a third film or leave if studio meddling becomes too much? More importantly, will the Snyder Cut be a hit? Tell us your thoughts below.
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