The Big Picture
Chris Pine is shocked and disappointed with the cancellation of the
Wonder Woman
franchise by new DC Studios heads.
Pine did not want to play second fiddle in
Wonder Woman
but was convinced by Director Patty Jenkins.
The new DC Universe excluded Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman despite plans for a third installment.
Ever since the heads of the new DC Studios canceled the successful Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman franchise from the superhero universe, many have had mixed opinions; one such person is Chris Pine. Pine, who plays Steve Trevor in the DC movie, had a chat with Business Insider, expressing shock at the sudden end of the franchise despite it once being the highest-earning movie in the DC Comics Extended Universe.
Pine’s Trevor is an American spy and the love interest of Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman character. In the 2017 Wonder Woman, the pair team up to fight with the Allies in World War I and eventually fall in love. Trevor dies at the movie’s end but returns in Wonder Woman 1984, three years later, when Diana accidentally wishes him back to life.
It’s been four years since the last Wonder Woman movie was released in theaters, and the third installment was already being developed during the pandemic. Jenkins wanted Wonder Woman 3 to be set in the present day, but unfortunately, when Warner Bros. hired Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran as heads of DC Studios, their new DC Universe completely excluded Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
Pine Did Not Want to Play Second Fiddle In ‘Wonder Woman’
While promoting his upcoming movie and directorial debut Poolman, Pine said in the interview, “I’m stunned that they said no to a billion-dollar franchise and decided to pivot elsewhere. I don’t know what the reasoning was behind that; it’s above my pay grade, but Wonder Woman is an incredible character; Patty is such a thoughtful director.” The prominent actor also emphasized the end of his character even if a third movie had gone forward. “Me. No. Homie is dead. Steve is gonzo,” Pine said. “It would be ridiculous to try to bring me back.”
Pine actually had no interest in playing Steve because it “sounded like second fiddle.” However, when he met Jenkins, who finally convinced him, he realized the narrative was much more profound. He explained, “Talking to Patty, the way she described it was, ‘Forget the superhero of it all, this is a romance, this is Casablanca, that’s the movie I want to make.’ I was like, oh, now that is very cool because when have you seen a superhero film that was a love story, ultimately? That had nothing to do with blowing sh-t up.”
Wonder Woman 1984 is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the U.S.
Wonder Woman 1984
Diana must contend with a work colleague, and with a businessman whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing.
Release Date December 16, 2020
Runtime 151 minutes
Writers Dave Callaham , Patty Jenkins , Geoff Johns , William Moulton Marston