The DC Extended Universe we knew is a thing of the past now. After 15 movies in the office, the men in power of the franchise decided that things were not working out for the Universe. The Box Office returns and criticism from fans casting a lot of doubt about how things would pan out for the franchise that was once being touted as a competition to the MCU.
But it wasn’t meant to be. That also meant that a rumored sequel to WW84 would have to be scrapped. And Chris Pine had no qualms with that, for one peculiar reason.
Wonder Woman was one of the best that DCEU had to offer
The first few years of the DCEU were ones of prosperity. Kicking off with Man of Steel in 2014, things seemed to be going in the right direction for the Universe. The release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice filled fans with excitement. And then came Wonder Woman, a film that would attract the young and the old to cinema halls alike.
The Gal Gadot starrer is one of the highest rated movies in the franchise (a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 93% is the second highest amongst all DCEU movies) and made a fortune, earning $824 million worldwide. No wonder the movie got a sequel in 2020.
Chris Pine couldn’t wrap his head around the cancellation of WW84’s sequel
Though WW84 failed to live up to the standards set by its predecessor, that didn’t deter the DCEU execs to plan for a third. It was one of the most profitable franchises after all. Word has it that Patty Jenkins wanted the third to be set in the present time. But fate had other plans, as the DCEU in its entirety had to be scrapped after a below-par run.
One man who was left stunned with the cancellation was Chris Pine. When the 43-year-old first learnt that the third Wonder Woman movie had suddenly become a dream, he was astonished to say the least. And you wouldn’t blame him. He told Business Insider,
“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.”
One should not take that to mean that he would have been a part of the film.
Chris Pine had no intention of returning to the fold in spite of being shocked by the cancellation
Chris Pine’s disappointment at the cancellation is one facet. But the star, who played the role of Steve Trevor in the movies, would have to be killed off twice in the course of the two films (yes, we count him disappearing into nowhere in WW84 as a death) had no intention of returning for the third. His shock at the cancellation seems to be like he wants to keep it that way.
Chris Pine on if he would have returned as Steve Trevor in the axed 'WONDER WOMAN 3' film
"Me. No. Homie is dead. Steve is gonzo. It would be ridiculous to try to bring me back."
(Via https://t.co/6wzYf7BpIz) pic.twitter.com/3iKabVdOCn
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) May 6, 2024
When asked whether he would consider returning to the fold for another flick, he categorically refused. He said,
“Me. No. Homie is dead. Steve is gonzo. It would be ridiculous to try to bring me back.”
It is safe to say that the ghosts of WW84 have still not been exorcised. The sequel to the 2017 flick was a shadow of the OG movie, failing to live up to the bar. Seems like The Princess Diaries star would rather distance himself from the project, rather than being tied to a disaster.
