The widespread response to the multitude of accusations that have come out against men in positions of power in Hollywood has been the talk of the entertainment industry for several weeks now. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and several others have been the most recent careers to be sullied by inappropriate comments or physical advances on unsuspecting men and women that they had worked with. Today, the movement to stand up to this kind of behavior continues, with one of the most recognizable actresses in the movies playing hardball over a proposed sequel to her biggest film.
Gal Gadot, best known for her role as the titular character in Wonder Woman, is reportedly refusing to sign on for another installment in that superhero franchise as long as Brett Ratner is still on the project in some capacity, as per CNBC. Ratner, whose production company was one of the major forces behind the first movie in the series, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women in the industry, including actresses Olivia Munn and Ellen Page. His RatPac-Dune Entertainment is on the oust with Warner Bros. as of next year, but that may not be enough to convince Gadot to don the Wonder Woman costume again.
The first Wonder Woman grossed over $821 million at the box office during its initial theatrical run, proving that both Gadot and the franchise itself are a moneymaking opportunity that the studio is unlikely to pass on. A recasting in the lead role, while not unprecedented, would be counterproductive to the momentum that Warner Bros. is trying to build with the DC Comics universe, especially with the big-budget Justice League film scheduled to hit theaters on November 17th.
The studio did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Ratner or his staff. It's safe to say that, with other Hollywood titans having their livelihoods snatched from them seemingly on the daily, Gadot's ultimatum is one that will be taken seriously in closed-door meetings about the Wonder Woman franchise. Saying no to her request would only bring an onslaught of additional bad press for Warner Bros., but accepting it will mark unprecedented action by the powers that be, even if it is the moral high ground to take.