James Gunn’s newest update aboutParadise Losthas put my concerns about the fate of the upcomingDC Universeseries to rest. In the eight decades since Wonder Woman made her debut in 1941, she has become one of the most notable, popular and powerful superheroes, female or otherwise, ever depicted in DC Comics, which has spurred many live-action adaptations. While the legendary hero is expected to be reinvented for the newly-rebooted DCU, I’ve been worried that she is already following the trajectory ofGal Gadot’s Diana Prince from the DC Extended Universe.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn first announced the development of a new DC Universe series focused on the Amazon warriors on Themyscira in January 2023, withParadise Lostset to be a part of theDCU’s Chapter 1, titled “Gods and Monsters”. Since then, however,updates aboutParadise Losthave been scarce, which has made me worried that the series might not actually see the light of day. However,Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran might have just eased my worries, giving me hope for Wonder Woman’s reintroduction into the DCU.
Paradise Lost Has A Complicated Place In The DCU Timeline Already
Not Much Is Yet Known About The DCU’s Paradise Lost Series
Even though it’s now been two years since James Gunn first confirmed that a live-actionParadise Lostseries was planned for the DCU, potentially based on 2001’sParadise Island Loststoryline from DC Comics. This is supported by Gunn’s previous comments that the series' political intrigue would be reminiscent ofGame of Thrones, whilethe series is expected to be a prequel exploring the history of the mystical island of Themyscira, which houses a nation of formidable female warriors, the Amazons. This makes me wonder whereParadise Lostfalls in the DCU’s timeline, however.
SinceParadise Lostis billed as a prequel to the typicalWonder Woman origin story, I wonder if the show will predate every other DCU project or whether it will take place simultaneously with the likes ofSuperman, Lanterns, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrowand more. Currently, there’s been no confirmation as to whetherParadise Lostwill even include Wonder Woman herself.The lack of direction and updates concerningParadise Lostmade me pretty worried about the series' development, but now my fears might have been eased.
Paradise Lost’s Lack Of Updates Has Raised Worries It Could Go The Way Of Wonder Woman 3
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman Met A Sorry End In The DCEU
A sequel to Patty Jenkins' disappointingWonder Woman 1984from 2020 was officially greenlit by Warner Bros. in December 2020, and Jenkins and screenwriter Geoff Johns confirmed that they already had a full story mapped out for the sequel. However, whileWonder Woman 3was presumably in active developmentfor quite some time, with Gal Gadot expected to reprise the role, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s takeover of DC Studios caused the movie to be put on hold.We even heard news that Gadot would still continue to play Wonder Woman, but we now know this isn’t the case.
What’s Going On With Wonder Woman’s DCU Recasting?
James Gunn shared a new update on the status of Wonder Woman in the DCU, and Gal Gadot’s possible return as the DC hero gets a near-definitive answer.
I was worried thatParadise Lostwould suffer the same fate asWonder Woman 3, which was officially and finally confirmed to be canceled during an October 2023 exposé byVarietythat revealednone of Zack Snyder’s original cast would reprise their rolesin the DCU. We’ve already seen this happen even after the reinvention of DC Studios, astheArkham Asylumseries fell through, and scripts for the likes ofThe Authority, The Brave and the BoldandBooster Goldare reported to be coming together with difficulty. However, it now seems this isn’t the case forParadise Lost.
Paradise Lost’s Latest DCU Update Proves It Is Still On The Path To Release
James Gunn & Peter Safran Have Offered Positive Paradise Lost Updates
During the latest DC press event in February 2025, James Gunn and Peter Safran offered updates about a number ofupcoming DCU projects, includingWaller, Booster GoldandParadise Lost. This update has given me new excitement about these upcoming shows, the latter in particular, asGunn has confirmed that development ofParadise Lostis"going pretty well.“Safran even revealed that the series' pilot is"being written right now,“which means it might not be too long until we get solid new information about the new Wonder Woman-related project.
James Gunn:Paradise Lost is totally still important, and we’re working heavily on it. It seems to be going pretty well.
Peter Safran:The pilot’s being written right now.
The fact thatParadise Losthas now been confirmed to still be on the path to release is incredibly relieving, as it means the mistakes that the DCEU made with Wonder Woman will not be repeated.Wonder Woman is one of the three heroes widely-regarded to be most significant in DC Comics, alongside Superman and Batman, so it’s essential she’s handled with carein Gunn and Safran’s new franchise.Paradise Losttaking some time to develop is a good sign that thought is going intoWonder Woman’s new debut, which I’m very excited about.
