James Gunn fired back on Twitter with a single word, “Nope,” to squash talk of Wonder Woman popping up in Man of Tomorrow. The chatter started back in November 2025 when insiders hinted at casting a tall, tough female warrior for the Superman follow-up, sparking wild guesses about Diana Prince crashing the party.
Gunn stayed true to form, dodging specifics as he did with the Brainiac reveals earlier. He never flat-out denied a big female hero role, just nixed the January 2026 casting drop fans were hyping.
Man of Tomorrow locks in for July 9, 2027, pitting David Corenswet’s Superman against Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor in a team-up against some massive new foe. Early leaks point to Brainiac as the android menace, with Gunn stressing the core clash between Clark’s hope and Lex’s ruthless drive.
This shutdown fits Gunn’s playbook of letting rumors simmer before dropping facts, much like confirming Lars Eidinger as the cold collector villain only after chatter died down.
Social media exploded anyway, with DC fans parsing that “Nope” like a cryptic Bat-signal. Production kicks off in spring 2026, so more cast news could trickle out soon, but Gunn controls the drip.
Rumors Fueled by DCU Casting Frenzy
The fire under these rumors traces to late 2025 scoops claiming DC Studios hunted “young, hot” talent for a lead spot in Man of Tomorrow. Podcaster John Rocha amplified it, saying his sources pegged the role as Wonder Woman herself, with auditions drawing A-listers.
That buzz collided with fresh reports of Ana Nogueira scripting a standalone Diana flick, building hype that her debut might fast-track via Superman’s spotlight.
Wonder Woman (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
ComicBookMovie and similar sites ran wild with threads on actress wishlists, from Vikings stars to rising Hollywood names fitting the warrior mold.
Gunn had teased Wonder Woman’s priority status alongside Superman, Batman, and Supergirl as DCU pillars, per Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav. Yet he clarified that those four anchor the franchise without boxing out others, keeping options open.
No panic set in because Gunn’s history shows he engages fans directly, like debunking Steve Trevor’s casting or height debates for Diana.
Man of Tomorrow already packs Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Green Lantern returns from the first Superman, plus Metamorpho is teased, so cramming another icon risked overcrowding. Rumors thrived on that crowded canvas, but Gunn’s response reset expectations without killing all intrigue.
Diana’s Real Path in Gunn’s DCU Vision
Wonder Woman stands firm as a DCU cornerstone, with Nogueira’s script underway for her own blockbuster. Gunn name-dropped the project in summer 2025 interviews, signaling no stall after initial slate silence. Zaslav’s pillar list underscores her weight, though release lags behind Supergirl in 2026 and The Batman Part II.
Gunn’s Entertainment Weekly chat revealed personal stakes: those four characters shape Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, with Superman and Supergirl locked and Batman and Diana in progress.
A Paradise Lost prequel series adds layers, probing Themyscira’s power plays before Diana hits screens. Casting stays under wraps until scripts gel, ruling out rushed announcements.
Man of Tomorrow spotlights Superman-Lex dynamics against a “much bigger” threat, per Gunn, leaving room for the Justice Gang to expand without forcing crossovers.
Fans crave Diana’s live-action reset post-Gal Gadot, but Gunn prioritizes story fit over fan service. As production ramps, expect teases on her solo arc, maybe tying into broader threats like Brainiac’s world-shrinking schemes.
This rumor cycle highlights DCU’s momentum post-Superman’s box office win, where every leak sparks Justice League dreams. Gunn’s direct style builds trust, turning potential flops into fan fuel.
Diana waits in the wings, primed for her moment when stars align. Man of Tomorrow rolls on without her, but the DCU’s hero roster grows smarter.
Predator: Badlands stormed theaters on November 7, 2025, pulling in $40 million domestically that first weekend alone. That haul beat out the old franchise benchmark set by Alien vs.
Predator, back in 2004, which opened to $38 million unadjusted for inflation. By the end, global earnings hit $183 million, edging past the prior champ’s $177.4 million total and marking the biggest win in the 38-year saga.
Fans packed seats for director Dan Trachtenberg’s fresh take, where an exiled young Yautja named Dek links up with Thia, a damaged synthetic from Weyland-Yutani, to battle a nightmare beast on planet Genna.
Production costs sat around $105 million, so the run cleared profit hurdles comfortably despite a PG-13 rating that drew wider crowds than past R-rated entries. International markets added $89 million-plus, with steady legs keeping screens full through December.
Disney’s 20th Century Studios timed the push perfectly after a sluggish October box office, turning the film into a revival spark. Strong word-of-mouth fueled second-week holds, as viewers praised the mix of raw action, humor, and deeper lore on Predator society.
This success validated Trachtenberg’s streak, fresh off Prey and the anthology Predator: Killer of Killers.
VOD Sprint Fuels Home Hunt Fever
Official word landed December 30, 2025: digital rentals and purchases go live January 6, 2026, on spots like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Priced likely at $20-30 to buy or $15-25 to rent for 48 hours, it fits Disney’s standard 60-day theatrical-to-PVOD window. Physical discs, including 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and a limited SteelBook, follow on February 17.
Predator: Badlands (Credit: Netflix)
Bonus materials sweeten the deal, packing deleted scenes like extended Super Power Loader fights and pre-vis hunts, plus featurettes on Yautja family life and synth design.
Audio commentary from Trachtenberg, his producer, cinematographer, and stunt coordinator, lets fans unpack the Genna planet build, from killer trees to razor grass. Elle Fanning’s dual role as Thia and Tessa gets spotlighted, showing how the actress nailed distinct android vibes.
This quick turnaround cashes in on buzz while theaters wind down. Hulu and Disney+ likely grab streaming rights near the disc drop, based on patterns for 20th Century hits. Early Reddit chatter hyped the news, though some fans held out for verified studio confirmation over rumor mills.
Franchise Roars Back Stronger
Trachtenberg flipped the script on a series that stumbled post-2010s flops. Prey in 2022 hooked viewers with smart callbacks and a Comanche warrior lead, setting up Badlands’ bold planet-hopping plot. Now, Dek’s underdog arc and Thia’s glitchy humanity add emotional punches amid plasma blasts and cloaked stalks.
Box office dominance signals hunger for more Yautja tales. The $183 million haul tops not just AVP but every solo Predator outing, proving PG-13 action sells without gutting the gore. Studios eye crossovers or Dek sequels, given the homeworld teases in extras.
Viewers split on the rating shift: purists miss unrated brutality, but families and casuals boosted turnout. Fanning’s star pull, alongside newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, broadened appeal beyond hardcore hunters. Digital access keeps momentum rolling into 2026, priming pumps for whatever hunt comes next.
Badlands proves the Predator still hunts profit and hearts alike. Rental spikes are expected as New Year’s crowds skip lines for repeat claw-outs. Physical collectors snag SteelBooks fast, chasing that Genna glow in 4K. Trachtenberg’s run reshapes a weary beast into box office royalty.
Social media lights up with fan edits blending Badlands kills into classic clips, sparking viral challenges where users mimic Dek’s cloaks or Thia’s hacks. Critics note how the film’s synth-human bond echoes Alien lore, fueling crossover dreams that could pit Yautja against Xenomorphs anew.
Global markets buzz too, with Badlands topping charts in Asia and Europe long after U.S. peaks, as subtitles unlock Predator passion worldwide.
