Zack Snyder / Warner Bros.
We were pretty bummed to hear that Michelle MacLaren departed Wonder Woman because of creative reasons. And we assumed it could be a while before we saw Warner Bros. and DC choose a replacement. But it’s actually been a very quick turnover, as The Hollywood Reporter has named Patty Jenkins as the replacement for the superhero tentpole, which will star Gal Gadot in the lead.
You may recall the irony here, how Jenkins was supposed to direct Thor: The Dark World for Marvel but left that superhero tentpole over creative differences. If you didn’t have a good memory about that, you were at least reminded by Scott’s post on MacLaren’s exit yesterday. Jenkins still hasn’t directed a feature since her 2003 debut with the Aileen Wuornos biopic Monster.
She has done a good amount of TV work in the past 12 years, though, earning an Emmy nomination for helming the pilot of The Killing. She also, interestingly enough, directed a couple episodes of Entourage, including one involving the fiction developments of an Aquaman sequel. Her latest gig had her directing the pilot for a Mary Elizabeth Winstead-led series that wasn’t picked up.
Jenkins will be picking things up from the lead of Zack Snyder, who started the new mega-franchise with Man of Steel and will get to introduce Gadot’s Wonder Woman in next year’s sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Wonder Woman’s solo feature will be then be the next hero-focused installment of the DC Cinematic Universe, following the release of the villain-based Suicide Squad.
Since MacLaren’s departure, fans have suggested that Marvel should swoop in and grab her for their own female superhero movie, Captain Marvel. That would raise the irony a lot, if DC got the director that couldn’t work with Marvel and Marvel got the director who couldn’t work for DC. It’d certainly fuel the notion that there’s a rivalry between the comic book publishers and their cinematic universes.
Wonder Woman is scheduled to hit theaters on June 23, 2017. For now, you can probably get your first look at the female superhero in action in the first trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will screen in theaters on Monday.
