While DC Studios develops a new Wonder Woman film, one Marvel star has thrown his weight behind a controversial choice – an actress recently fired for antisemitic posts.
After collaborating with Melissa Barrera on Peacock's The Copenhagen Test, actor Simu Liu is advocating for the actress to portray Wonder Woman in DC Studios' planned superhero film, JoBlo reported.
Barrera's dedication during the spy series convinced Liu she possesses the necessary qualities. "She really pushes herself," Liu told JoBlo in a recent interview. "I don't know who might be listening to this interview, James Gunn or anybody else out there. But I think she really pushes herself. There were a couple of moments during stunt training where I was like, 'That's Wonder Woman-esque.' I'm just throwing it out there."
Yet unlike Israeli Gadot, Barrera stands at the polar opposite. In November 2023, the performer was dismissed from "Scream 7" after posting antisemitic content on social media, including allegations charging Israel with "genocide and ethnic cleansing" and circulating fabricated material about manipulating the Holocaust "to boost the Israeli arms industry."
James Gunn, who serves as DC Studios co-CEO, is pursuing an actress for Wonder Woman in his expanding cinematic universe, which debuted with July's Superman film starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. Under Gunn and Peter Safran's leadership, DC Studios canceled Wonder Woman 3, which would have starred Gal Gadot in the character she portrayed between 2016 and 2023. Last June, Gunn verified that a fresh Wonder Woman screenplay is in development – though evidently without Gadot's participation. The project will arrive alongside a new HBO series exploring Wonder Woman's mythical homeland, Themyscira.
Gunn stated in July he was "not casting Wonder Woman, nor even discussing it, until a script is finished." Addressing the matter on Threads, Gunn clarified production priorities. "It's a priority but I wouldn't call that fast-tracked. Nothing is going to be shot unless we're as sure as we can be that the script is good," Gunn wrote on Threads. He subsequently praised Adria Arjona as a potential candidate but rejected casting rumors after following her on Instagram.
