Gal Gadot has defended her decision to star in an AI‑assisted production, insisting that performers must embrace the technology or risk being left behind. At the same time, she made it clear that returning as Wonder Woman no longer fits her life, citing personal commitments and the way recent departures at DC Studios were managed.
AI on Set: Gadot’s Experience with Bitcoin
The forthcoming film Bitcoin was shot over twenty days on a purpose‑built soundstage, with artificial intelligence employed to generate sets and lighting that would otherwise have required traditional locations and physical builds. Directed by Doug Liman and featuring Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson and Isla Fisher, the picture follows computer scientist Craig Wright as he attempts to prove he is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.
Gadot described the shoot as the longest contract she has ever undertaken. Her legal team spent six months examining every conceivable AI scenario because she “absolutely did not want the AI to have anything to do with my performance”. The resulting protections were so thorough that the US actors’ union SAG‑AFTRA contacted her lawyers for advice on updating its own contract to safeguard other performers.
She stressed that, despite the technology’s presence behind the scenes, her acting remained entirely her own. “As far as the performances, for me, you know, it’s all me,” she told podcast host Josh Horowitz, admitting she was initially “afraid of AI” but refused to let that fear stop her. “I’m playing with it, and I’m learning it, and I’m trying to educate myself with it,” she added, arguing that actors now face a binary choice: either “work with it” or “be out of the game completely”.
The AI was limited to set dressing and illumination; the crew remained large and the atmosphere felt theatrical. “Essentially the experience that I had was as if we were doing theater,” Gadot explained, noting the stripped‑down space left only the performance. Without waiting for lighting adjustments, the cast filmed continuously, sometimes for ten hours straight.
Walking Away from Wonder Woman: The Behind‑the‑Scenes Exit
Gadot’s portrayal of Diana Prince began with Zack Snyder’s *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice* in 2016, continued through Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman in 2017 and concluded with Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020. The 2017 installment grossed $822 million worldwide and became a touchstone for female‑led superhero cinema. She recalled that she and Jenkins initially saw themselves as underdogs, handed a modest budget to “go and do your thing while everybody else is going to focus on the other guys’ film”.
A third Wonder Woman picture had been in development, but the project collapsed in December 2022 when James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed control of the newly formed DC Studios. Jenkins later disputed suggestions she had simply walked away, saying she remained open to any proposal but felt there was nothing she could do to move the film forward at that juncture.
When Horowitz asked whether she had been told the franchise would take a different direction, Gadot replied that she had been informed the opposite: “They were like, ‘We’re going to develop it with you, the third [film].’ But I saw the way everybody else was handled.” She pointed to the similarly awkward exit of Henry Cavill, who had announced his return as Superman in October 2022 only to be informed two months later that he would not reprise the role.
“The Henry situation was not being handled elegantly, to say the least. Same with Patty. Was not handled elegantly,” Gadot said. She acknowledged gratitude for the opportunity to embody the character, describing it as a privilege to wear the boots and serve as a vessel for the role at that time.
Industry Implications: Contracts and the Future of Performance
Gadot’s candid remarks about the Bitcoin production highlight a growing tension in Hollywood: the need to protect artistic integrity while integrating AI tools. By negotiating clauses that kept the technology away from her performance, she set a precedent that could influence future talent agreements, especially as unions like SAG‑AFTRA begin to address AI‑related concerns in collective bargaining.
Her stance on Wonder Woman also underscores the shifting calculations actors make when balancing iconic roles with evolving personal lives. With four children and varying school schedules, she concluded that committing to another lengthy superhero stint no longer aligns with her current circumstances. The vacancy left by her departure has sparked speculation about a successor, with Andor star Adria Arjona emerging as a popular contender after landing an undisclosed role in James Gunn’s forthcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Why it Matters
Gal Gadot’s open discussion about AI on set and her decision to step away from Wonder Woman offers a clear snapshot of an industry at a crossroads. Her experience shows how performers can harness new technology without surrendering creative control, while her exit underscores the human cost behind studio reshuffles. As AI becomes more prevalent and studios renegotiate talent contracts, the precedents she helped establish may shape how future blockbusters are made—and who gets to wear the cape next.
