Adria Arjona’s new action film Onslaught is hitting theaters this weekend, but much of the attention surrounding the actress has focused on another role: speculation that she could be the DCU’s next Wonder Woman.
Arjona has faced a steady stream of questions about the possibility during the film’s press tour, although she has carefully avoided confirming anything. Her intense workout posts and her mysterious role in the upcoming Superman sequel have only fueled the rumors, and many fans now seem to regard her casting as almost inevitable.
The question has therefore shifted from who will play Wonder Woman to who will direct her next movie.
If Arjona does indeed take the role, the project already appears to have its writer in Ana Nogueira, who is also writing Supergirl. That choice has prompted some hesitation among fans following the mixed reception to the film. The director, however, remains unknown.
There are also indications that Warner Bros. wants to move quickly, with production potentially beginning after Man of Tomorrow in an effort to bring Wonder Woman to audiences sooner rather than later.
Variety has reported that Warner Bros. is fast-tracking a new Wonder Woman movie. A fake social media post subsequently circulated claiming that the same report said Chloé Zhao was in talks to direct the film. It did not.
Still, Zhao’s name has entered the conversation for another reason.
In a separate Variety interview, Zhao discussed her relationship with comic book movies after directing Marvel’s Eternalsin 2021. Despite the film’s disappointing critical and commercial reception, she remains supportive of the genre and has defended comic book storytelling against critics such as Martin Scorsese.
“I do feel it’s important to not write off stories because we don’t consider them high art,” Zhao said, arguing that stories and archetypes can provide people with a way to process experiences they have in common.
Zhao also pointed out an unexpected connection between Eternals and Nomadland, the film that earned her the Oscar for Best Director and won Best Picture, while Frances McDormand took home Best Actress.
“What contrast?” Zhao said. “It’s people in nature…with animals…who have complicated relationships with them.”
There is, at this point, no direct indication that Zhao is being considered for Wonder Woman. But the timing is intriguing. If Warner Bros. is genuinely accelerating development of the movie, a director will presumably need to be attached relatively soon.
And given that Wonder Woman is one of the most prominent female superheroes, with a female lead and a female screenwriter already attached, it would hardly be surprising if the studio once again chose a woman to direct the film. Patty Jenkins previously directed both Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 for the DCEU.
Zhao’s previous experience with superhero cinema would make her an especially interesting candidate. Yes, Eternals was widely regarded as a critical and box-office disappointment, and the film remained largely detached from the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. But its reputation has softened somewhat in recent years, with renewed appreciation for its visual ambition, action sequences and more divisive elements.
Few would argue that Zhao is a poor filmmaker simply because Eternals failed to connect with audiences. A second attempt at the genre would hardly be unprecedented.
Nothing has been confirmed, but if Warner Bros. is looking for a female director with major filmmaking credentials, previous experience with comic book material and an apparent willingness to return to the genre, Zhao certainly seems like a name worth keeping an eye on.
Whether anything actually comes of the speculation could become clearer over the next year.
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