Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed Wednesday that Gadot, 28, has been cast to play Diana Prince, and her superhero alter ego Wonder Woman, in director Zack Snyder's upcoming Man of Steel follow-up. The as-yet-untitled movie, scheduled for release July 17, 2015, features Henry Cavill in his second stint as Superman (and Clark Kent) and Ben Affleck, who's making his movie debut as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Gadot, a model and 2004 Miss Universe contestant fromIsrael, starred in three movies in the Fast & Furiousfranchise — including this year's Fast & Furious 6 — and also had supporting roles in Date Night and Knight & Day.
This marks Wonder Woman's biggest on-screen splash to date — Lynda Carter played the DC Comicssuperheroine on TV in the 1970s, and Adrianne Palickistarred as Diana in a Wonder Woman pilot that never made it to series.
"Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe," Snyder said. "Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role.
"We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature-film incarnation of this beloved character."
The Batman/Superman movie begins principal photography in the first quarter of 2014 and returns Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diane Lane asMartha Kent.
Comments