Gal Gadot has been busy making surprise cameos in several 2023 blockbusters, and she may not be finished yet. While Gadot made her big screen breakthrough thanks to the saga, her title turn as Wonder Woman in the 2017 blockbuster made her a movie star. Since then, Gadot has largely focused on franchises, reprising the role of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in several DCU outings like and or appearing in Kenneth Branagh's .
The only original project Gadot has appeared in since 2016 is Netflix hit , which itself was always intended to launch a franchise. 2023 is set to change that with the , where Gadot plays a spy trying to stop a dangerous object dubbed "The Heart" from falling into the wrong hands.
One of the most famous gags from the original saw Henry Cavill's Superman make a surprise appearance - played by a body double whose face is never shown. looked set to repeat that joke, with a Wonder Woman body double appearing in one of Shazam!/Billy Batson's (Zachary Levi) dreams. This turned out to be a double bluff, as the finale sees Gadot's Diana actually make an appearance following the death of Shazam!, who died in a battle to save Philadelphia.
In , Diana arrives at Mount Olympus where Billy's family is mourning his passing, and she uses her godly powers to restore the Staff of the Gods. Wonder Woman then uses the staff to resurrect Billy, and shortly after coming back to life, he proceeds to awkwardly flirt with her. Instead, she thanks Shazam! for his bravery and wants him to continue using his powers for the greater good.
Director David F. Sandberg later revealed he had to helm remotely, as her coverage was shot in England, but he couldn't get a visa in time to work with her. He was also unhappy that Gadot's cameo was spoiled in a TV spot before
Gal Gadot's second 2023 cameo came with , where she reprised her role as the presumed deceased Gisele. The movies have made a habit of resurrecting dead fan favorites, with revealing how - via a fairly convoluted series of flashbacks - Han (Sung Kang) survived his apparent demise in . Gisele perished during the finale of , sacrificing herself to save Han during a car chase.
Following Han's return, it was long anticipated Gadot would return to the series sooner or later.
In fact, even Gadot admitted after the sequel's release that she also has no idea how Gisele is suddenly not dead, and is "" to learn in . Since was always planned as a two-parter - complete with a cliffhanger ending - this suggests the filmmakers themselves still haven't figured out the logic behind Gadot's return as Gisele.
The final Gal Gadot cameo of 2023 - thus far - came with a second appearance as Wonder Woman in . Gadot's uncredited cameo happens in the movie's first act, where The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Batman (Ben Affleck) are trying to stop a robbery by Al Falcone (Luke Brandon Field) in Gotham. Diana is unavailable to help for most of this setpiece, though she appears just in time to save Batman from falling off a bridge with her Lasso of Truth.
While it was thought her cameo might be her final appearance in the DCU period, Gadot confirmed in an August 2023 interview with that she and James Gunn are still planning to develop . Fans of Diana Prince may not have to wait that long, as there are two remaining DCU movies set for release before the end of 2023; and .
star Xolo Maridueña has already teased his superhero movie will feature appearances by other DC characters.
Michael Keaton originally filmed a scene where he reprised Bruce Wayne/Batman when the studio wanted to set him up as something of a Nick Fury for the DCU universe. When that plan was nixed, Affleck came on during reshoots to replace the scene Keaton had filmed.
Even if there are no further Gal Gadot cameos coming in 2023, fans of the star still have to look forward to when it arrives on Netflix on August 11th. She's also set to play the Evil Queen in 2024's movie, alongside co-star Rachel Zegler in the title role.
Source: