James Gunn Scraps the One Requirement Everyone Thought Was Mandatory for Wonder Woman Casting
DC’s reboot era is in full swing—after Snyder’s DCEU and the Gunn–Safran DCU, fresh takes on Superman and Batman have dominated the buzz. Now the final pillar of the Trinity steps into the spotlight: Wonder Woman.
DC is in the middle of its latest reset: the Snyder-era DCEU is in the rearview, and the DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran is the new plan. We know a fresh Superman is coming, Batman is off doing Elseworlds adventures, and that leaves one big question: where is Wonder Woman in all this?
First, the height discourse (yes, really)
Over on Reddit, someone asked Gunn a very specific question about Wonder Woman: does she have to be taller than Superman? The fan even tossed out 6'5" as a target and wondered if actresses under 5'9" are still viable for Diana.
"I dont think extreme height is the most important factor in casting WW. Thats all I said earlier as well. I never said I didnt feel good about her being taller than Superman—I just said that would never be what I considered most important in her casting."
Translation: stop obsessing over the tape measure. Gunn is not treating height as a dealbreaker, one way or the other.
So when do we actually see Wonder Woman in the DCU?
Two projects are in the works that touch her corner of the universe:
— Paradise Lost: announced as part of Gunns January 2023 slate, this is an Amazon-focused series for HBO that digs into Themyscira. Reports have framed it as a prequel without Wonder Woman herself, which tracks with the premise.
— A new Wonder Woman feature: in June, Gunn told Entertainment Weekly that Wonder Woman is a separate thing, its slow-moving but moving, and that the script is being written right now. No plot details, no casting, no release date. Just: it exists, and it is progressing.
Big picture-wise, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has called Superman, Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman the four pillars of the DCU. Gunn backed that up, saying that lineup is accurate and those heroes are incredibly important. So yes, Wonder Woman is central to their plan—theyre just not rushing an announcement.
Who should wear the bracelets? Here are the buzzy picks
- Elizabeth Debicki — Fan favorite for a reason. At 6'3" (per IMDb), she already has the statuesque presence people associate with Diana, and she played another iconic Diana in The Crown.
- Dua Lipa — Gunn likes bold, unexpected choices, and she fits that profile. Tall, striking, and already toeing into movies with Argylle. Raw, sure, but intriguing.
- Adria Arjona — Brings heat and action chops. Recently in Hit Man, previously in Pacific Rim: Uprising with John Boyega, and she held her own in Michael Bays 6 Underground opposite Ryan Reynolds.
- Alexandra Daddario — Screen presence for days and a history with mythic roles thanks to the Percy Jackson series. You can picture her holding her own next to David Corenswets Superman.
Where the last Wonder Woman films landed
For context, Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman opened June 2, 2017 and landed strong with audiences and critics: 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.3/10 on IMDb. Wonder Woman 1984 hit on December 25, 2020 and took a noticeable dip: 57% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5.3/10 on IMDb.
Bottom line: Wonder Womans coming back, Gunn isnt hung up on whether shes taller than Clark, and the Amazons are getting their own world-building series first. When casting finally happens, expect debate—and probably a pick that feels obvious in hindsight.