The superhero arms race continues.  Warner Bros. announced its slate of DC Comics adaptations through the year 2020 recently, and then earlier this week Marvel Studios responded by announcing its own slate through the year 2019.  As WB has now started moving forward with a number of upcoming films, rumors have begun to swirl about the third DC movie in line after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, the Wonder Woman movie set for release in 2017.  Specifically, these new rumors claim that the first Wonder Woman will be a prequel set in the 1920s and will kick off a trilogy of Wonder Woman films.  More after the jump, including the film that Gal Gadot recently had to pass on due to her DC obligations.

wonder-woman-comic-origin
Image via DC Comics

The folks over at Bleeding Cool report that the current (and greenlit) treatment for Wonder Woman spends the first half of the movie on Paradise Island, focusing on the warring Amazon factions that are vying for control.  But then, apparently, the arrival of a man on the island changes everything:

When Wonder Woman joins him on his return to the world of Man, we all discover that it is the 1920s. And the film will then show Diana exploring that world – a world where women have only just got the vote – from her… unique perspective.

The report adds that a planned sequel would take place in the 1930s and 40s, during World War II and at a turning point in the womens rights movement.  A third film, then, would finally bring the action to present day with the Justice League.

I actually think this is an interesting way to approach a Wonder Woman franchise.  The character will first be introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as played by Gal Gadot, but it’s really seeming like she’s going to have a pretty big role in that film.  Obviously sharing the screen with Batman, Superman, Lex Luthor, Aquaman, etc. limits the amount of character development we can dive into in BvS, so having the first Wonder Woman movie be a prequel is a way to really dig into the character’s story.

The Wrap reports that Gadot has had to pass on the female lead in the Ben-Hur remake due to the extent of her involvement in the DC films, as she'll now be mainly focusing on Wonder Woman while Warner Bros. likely hopes to get production underway by late next year.

Obviously these plans could still change, as Warner Bros. still hasn’t set a director for the project and I imagine he or she will have some degree of input on the script, but if this rumor is indeed true, I think bringing diversity to Warner Bros.’ DC slate with a period film is a solid idea.  Hey, it worked for Marvel with Captain America: The First Avenger.

wonder-woman-alex-ross-01
Image via Alex Ross