Gal Gadot on parting with Wonder Woman: "I saw how they treated others"
Almost a decade after becoming a superhero and the most successful Israeli in Hollywood, Gadot says that DC actually wanted to develop a third film with her - but the way the studio parted ways with Henry Cavill made her a bit hesitant: "The situation with Henry was not handled elegantly, to say the least." She also spoke about her fear of artificial intelligence and the boundaries she set to protect her acting.
It was the biggest role of her career, the one that launched Gal Gadot to Hollywood and made her recognizable all over the world - Wonder Woman. She played the superhero for years, but the third film planned for her did not materialize. In the meantime, Gadot moved on and built a career for herself outside the DC universe. Now, almost a decade after she first wore the superhero suit, she reveals what really happened behind the scenes of the parting with the role.
In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Gadot said that initially she was told that James Gunn and Peter Safran, who manage DC Studios, wanted to develop the third Wonder Woman film with her.
"They said something like, 'We will develop this with you, the third one', la la la," she described in the conversation, and then added: "But I saw how they treated everyone else."
When Horowitz brought up Henry Cavill's name and noted that the situation was unfortunate, Gadot replied: "The situation with Henry was not handled elegantly, to say the least." Cavill had already been announced in the past as someone who would return to play Superman, but after Gunn and Safran entered the studios, it turned out that Gunn would direct a new Superman film - without Cavill. Gunn himself said in the past on the same podcast that the situation was unfortunate and unfair to the actor.
Patty Jenkins' name, the director of the Wonder Woman films, also came up in the conversation - she was supposed to direct the third film in the series, but the project was shelved after Gunn and Safran took their positions at DC. "The same thing with Patty, it was not handled elegantly," said Gadot. "I feel like we are all adults, and it's okay. And it's not even about them. They are there, and they are there to do what they believe in, and it's okay."
Gadot added that she is happy about the years in which she got to play the character: "I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to lace up those boots, and that the character got so much love and recognition, and that I got to be her vessel at that moment. And I can only wish for whoever steps into her shoes, that she approaches this journey from a truly clean place. True, we are talking here about movies and superheroes, but this character really means so much to so many of us. It is important to use her with respect and bring to the world all the love and light she can bring, and then enjoy the way. She was never mine. I was always just a vessel."
Gadot, who is currently promoting her new film The Runner, added that even if she had received an offer to return for a third film, she might not have accepted it: "For me, to go and do another 'Wonder Woman', I'm not sure I would do it at this stage in my life, with four children and different schools. To disappear for everyone for such a long period of time - it doesn't work in my life at this stage anymore."
I am afraid of artificial intelligence
Gadot also spoke in the interview about her role in Doug Liman's Bitcoin film, which drew quite a bit of criticism due to the extensive use of artificial intelligence in creating the sets and lighting. Alongside her play Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson and Isla Fisher, and the film was shot almost entirely in a completely empty space, with the environment and locations created using AI. Producer Ryan Kavanaugh claimed that the production, which cost about $70 million, saved more than $200 million thanks to the use of technology.
"It was the longest contract I've ever worked on," Gadot said about the film. "It took my lawyers six months to examine every scenario we could think of regarding the use of artificial intelligence. I didn't want artificial intelligence to have anything to do with my acting. We had to protect it to the point that SAG (the American actors' union) called my lawyers to ask for tips on updating their contract, to protect other actors. As far as acting is concerned, it's all me."
"I am afraid of artificial intelligence, but is that why I will be afraid and look away? No," added Gadot. "I am afraid, but I play with it, learn it and try to educate myself. The train has left the station. Either you work with it or you stay out of the game completely. I try to get the best out of it and protect what I can protect. The artificial intelligence component in this film is for the sets and lighting."
Since Liman filmed the actors in what was effectively an empty warehouse, Gadot compared the work experience to theater, where the actors stand almost alone on stage: "It felt like a pure art form of making a film. I didn't even see one shot. As an actress, I wait so much. There is the legendary quote: 'You are paid as an actor to wait'. Here we filmed without stopping because we didn't have to wait for lighting. We filmed more and more for 10 hours. It was amazing... As actors you are always hot. You don't cool down. It's crazy."
