'Scream' Star Should Be DCU's Wonder Woman
Simu Liu might be firmly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he is looking to land his The Copenhagen Test co-star Melissa Barrera a role in the DCU. Liu broke out with her role as Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings back in 2021, and will finally return in Avengers: Doomsday. In the gap between Shang-Chi's MCU's appearances, Liu landed the role in the Peacock action sci-fi series, The Copenhagen Test, alongside former Scream star Melissa Barrera. Speaking with JoBlo, Liu discussed Barrera's commitment on the set of The Copenhagen Test, saying, "She really pushes herself." The actor then took the moment to nominate Barrera for the role of Wonder Woman in the DCU, even mentioning James Gunn by name. Barrera's stunt-work, which Liu described as "Wonder Woman-esque," makes her a great fit for the role, according to the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star. Liu said:
"I don’t know who might be listening to this interview, James Gunn or anybody else out there. But I think she really pushes herself. There were a couple of moments during stunt training where I was like, ‘That’s Wonder Woman-esque.’ I’m just throwing it out there."
©Peacock / Courtesy Everett Collection
The role of Wonder Woman is one of the most sought-after roles in Hollywood. Previously played by Gal Gadot in the DCEU, James Gunn's DCU is currently working on a new Wonder Woman movie with Supergirl screenwriter Ana Nogueira penning the screenplay. Rumors have circulated that Wonder Woman will appear in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow, with the role currently being cast. However, Gunn has denied that the iconic character has been cast or that the character will appear in next year's follow-up. Barrera landing the role of Wonder Woman would certainly be a significant comeback for the actress, and for many, a much-needed win. Barrera starred in 2022's Scream and its 2023 sequel Scream VI as Sam Carpenter, one of the new leads of the franchise. She was initially set to return for Scream VII in a storyline that would see her become a killer. Those plans were scrapped when Spyglass Media fired Barrera after she posted a series of social media posts denouncing Israel's assault on Gaza, describing it as "genocide." Spyglass Media called Barrera's posts "anti-Semitic", which the actress rejected. Scream VII has since been drastically reworked, and despite bringing back the original star, Neve Campbell, many fans are unhappy about Barrera's firing.
Barerra has spoken openly about how, after being fired from Scream VII, she had 10 months without major film offers. Wonder Woman would be a significant boost for Barrera's career, and James Gunn himself does know what it feels like to be unjustly fired from a job, so there is hope for Barrera. MovieWeb has already suggested Barrera as one of ten actresses who would make for an excellent Wonder Woman in the DCU, though it might be some time before any news on who will play the Amazon princess is made. However, if Paramount Pictures, the current studio behind the Scream franchise, is successful in its hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros., then that might all but rule Barrera out from not only Wonder Woman but also any future WB movies.
Release Date
June 2, 2017
Runtime
141 minutes
Director
Patty Jenkins
Producers
Charles Roven, Geoff Johns, Richard Suckle, Stephen Jones, Zack Synder, Deborah Snyder, Jon Berg, Wesley Coller, Steven Mnuchin
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