Patty Jenkins Confirms Lynda Carter's Return in Wonder Woman 3 : 'We're Super Excited'
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The original Amazonian princess Lynda Carter is returning for the next Wonder Woman installment!
Director Patty Jenkins teamed up with Carter, 70, for the DC FanDome 2021 event on Saturday, confirming that the actress would again reprise her role as the warrior Asteria in the blockbuster franchise — following her cameo in Wonder Woman 1984.
Although star Gal Gadot, 36, did not attend the virtual event, Jenkins, 50, revealed that the entire team was "super excited about Wonder Woman 3."
"Gal, who's so bummed not to be here, who's the busiest person in the world, with now three little kids and shooting, so she was so bummed not to be able to be here," the filmmaker said. "But we are all three very excited about some exciting things coming up with Wonder Woman 3."
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Carter, who starred as the superhero in the Wonder Woman TV series from 1976 to 1979, also explained her personal commitment to the franchise.
"I know what it was like from the inside out," she said. "I know what the legacy meant to me, and when I created the character, it wasn't on the comic book page — her kindness and her goodness. Her strength was her Lasso of Truth ... and that meant something to me."
"Who would have thought in my life — at this time in my life — that this gift would just present itself to me, and that's so cool," Carter added. "And that's what I'm hoping for all of the fans of Wonder Woman ... to know that your life is full of surprises, and the Wonder Woman in you is alive and well."
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WARNER BROS/Moviestore/Shutterstock Gal Gadot in 'Wonder Woman 1984'
Just days after Wonder Woman 1984 was released on Christmas Day, Warner Bros. announced that development on the third film was being fast-tracked.
"As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy," Warner Bros. chief Toby Emmerich said in a statement in December.
Wonder Woman 1984 — which also stars Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen — was originally set to debut in theaters in summer 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic forced Warner Bros. to delay its release.
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Ahead of WW84's premiere, Jenkins revealed on Good Morning America that she has an ongoing text chain with Gadot and Carter.
"Linda is one of the first people I contacted when I started doing these movies, and she and I have become super good friends," Jenkins explained.
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"In the last few years we've started a group text that we're all three on, literally we all talked probably four times yesterday," she continued. "So we text each other all the time, we talk about what's going on, we talk about the movie release."
Jenkins also noted how grateful she feels to have a relationship with Carter. "We have a very shared spirit which is so awesome to share, and such an honor to share with her," she said.
