Recently, what seemed almost impossible given the character's recent cinematic woes became a reality: A new Wonder Woman film set in the DCU is under development. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gunn revealed a movie centered around Diana Prince — separate from the previously announced Paradise Lost HBO series — was being written:
"'Wonder Woman''s a separate thing [from the 'Paradise Lost' show] [...] We're working on 'Wonder Woman.' 'Wonder Woman''s being written right now."
Of course, a film being in development doesn't guarantee it making it to screen. However, just the fact that DC Studios is working on Wonder Woman comes as a big, welcome surprise.
Given the critical and financial reception of 2020's Wonder Woman 1984, and the somewhat confusing situation that unfolded between Gal Gadot and DC Studios regarding the now-defunct Wonder Woman 3, it seemed like the hero would not be seen on the big screen for a long time. It's an exciting development, and one that could also (theoretically) signal a positive update for another major DC character: The Fastest Man Alive.
The Wonder Woman Announcement Could Bode Well For The Flash
The Flash has had... well, less than a stellar cinematic career. His only live-action iteration on the big screen, Ezra Miller's, failed to garner much interest. The actor's first appearance in the universe, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was a critical disappointment, as was 2016's Suicide Squad. Then, 2017's Justice League was largely rejected by audiences and ended up underperforming financially as well. The character resurfaced in Zack Snyder's Justice League, which was relatively well received. However, things took a turn for the worse with his 2023 standalone feature, The Flash.
While receiving generally okay reviews, The Flash's reception wasn't ideal for what was supposed to be a monumental release for Warner Bros. The movie ultimately became one of the biggest flops in recent memory. That, paired with the multiple controversies surrounding Ezra Miller, made it seem like the Flash would be pushed to the sidelines in a similar manner to Green Lantern following the release of the 2011 film of the same name.
Green Lantern was originally envisioned as a promising new franchise for Warner Bros. Upon its arrival, however, the film flopped and pretty much became the laughingstock of the superhero movie genre. After that, the Green Lantern IP had a very difficult time getting another project off the ground. Though there were some attempts to revive it for film and television, they never materialized. Now, HBO's Lanterns is coming our way, but assuming the show releases in 2026, it will have been 15 years since the 2011 Ryan Reynolds feature for the Emeral Knights to get another shot at an adaptation.
The possibility of the Flash meeting a similar fate was somewhat reinforced in December 2024, when James Gunn revealed there would be some time before a movie about the Scarlet Speedster entered development, stating: "[As for 'The Flash'], we're holding a beat on development."
However, considering that six months have passed since that comment, and that Wonder Woman is getting another opportunity to shine, the prospect of DC Studios giving the Fastest Man Alive another standalone feature seems stronger than before. Though his first feature film wasn't successful, tackling the character from a different, more approachable angle could allow him to connect with audiences in a similar way that heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America and Batman have in recent years.
The Flash IP has a lot of potential to succeed on the big screen, so let's hope he's on track to receive another shot at making his mark in Hollywood.
The DCU's first feature film, Superman, flies into theaters July 11, 2025.