Gal Gadot seeks career comeback after Snow White failure, as the Hollywood remake’s weak performance has placed her future on uncertain ground. The high-budget flop has left the Wonder Woman star in a difficult position, pushing her to reconsider her career moves and prompting questions about her ability to retain her standing among the industry’s top actresses.
Aftermath of Snow White’s Disappointing Performance
Hollywood faced one of its most notable setbacks when the live-action Snow White failed to connect with audiences following its March 21 release. The film struggled to attract viewers and bring in ticket sales, earning only $43 million domestically during its opening weekend—an alarmingly low figure compared to its massive $269.4 million production costs. The project starred Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, opposite Rachel Zegler’s titular character, and the results have left Gadot, now 40, reportedly “stung and alarmed.” She had hoped the movie would cement her return to the A-list, but its reception fell short worldwide.
According to an insider,
“Even for an actress with a perfect reputation, the poor performance of Snow White would be a major blow. But for Gal, who relied on the movie to put her back on top of the A-list, it’s been incredibly difficult to see the film fail to connect with audiences all over the world.”
—Source close to Gal Gadot
The box office disaster is more stark when compared to recent Disney remakes. For example, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch live-action film launched with $145.5 million domestically in its first three days, demonstrating the rare extent of Snow White’s failure. Critics also noted that the controversy preceding the movie’s release—much of it centered on Rachel Zegler’s comments regarding her character’s storyline—likely contributed to the film’s underwhelming performance.
Gal Gadot’s Efforts to Reinvent Herself and Her Career Direction
The lackluster outcome has been described as the “worst-case scenario” for Gadot. An insider remarked,
“This truly is the worst-case scenario for what could have happened with this project and it’s pushing Gal into a place where she has no choice but to reinvent her Hollywood persona and rethink the kind of projects she signs up to make.”
—Source close to Gal Gadot
Gadot’s previous run with DC as Wonder Woman began with her debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. That was quickly followed by the solo Wonder Woman movie in 2017, a critical and box office success. She continued the role in Justice League and later in Wonder Woman 1984, marking her as a major player in the superhero genre. With her tenure as the character concluded, Gadot is seeking new avenues to reestablish her appeal and maintain relevance in Hollywood’s competitive landscape.
“That’s a lot easier said than done in this very competitive marketplace for leading actresses. What Gal needs, badly, is a famous filmmaker who can collaborate with her to update her image and rebuild her audience now that her time as Wonder Woman is over and done.”
—Source close to Gal Gadot
Pursuing New Projects Amid Industry Hesitation
The recent disappointment hasn’t deterred Gadot, who is now actively searching for a new headline project. An insider reports,
“She’s not being timid about this process – she’s picking up the phone and she’s chasing down projects, but everybody knows she needs a hit and it needs to be a film in theaters, not just streaming, to send the message to Hollywood that people will still show up and pay good money to see her work.”
—Source close to Gal Gadot
Gadot currently has the thriller Hand of Dante in post-production, where she appears in a secondary role amid a notable cast featuring Gerard Butler, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Al Pacino. Beyond this, her upcoming projects include a new Cleopatra film and two others still in development. However, none at this stage carry the same commercial expectations as Wonder Woman or even the ill-fated Snow White.
Building trust with studios is proving challenging. As her source puts it,
“Every studio is skeptical of her right now, and for the first time since she broke through in 2017, she has something to prove. It’s really lit a fire under her, and she’s got some big decisions ahead of her in order to turn things around.”
—Source close to Gal Gadot
Controversy and Outside Factors Affecting Snow White
A contributing factor to Snow White’s lack of success has been the divisive reception of comments made by Rachel Zegler. Leading up to the release, Zegler publicly criticized certain elements of the original Disney classic. In a 2022 interview, she remarked on the unsettling aspects of the original prince’s storyline, stating,
“There’s a big focus on her love story with the guy who literally stalks her. Weird, weird. So, we didn’t do that this time,”
—Rachel Zegler, Actress, explaining how the remake altered the approach to the love story.
Her critiques continued into the following year, where she emphasized modernizing the character’s motivations.
“I just mean that it’s no longer 1937,”
and
“We absolutely wrote a Snow White that … she’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love. She’s going to be dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
—Rachel Zegler, Actress, Variety interview
These remarks stirred debate among fans and critics, likely creating distance between potential viewers and the movie. While the brunt of criticism has targeted Zegler, the consequences have also reached Gadot, who needed the film to demonstrate her continued draw as a major Hollywood lead.
Gal Gadot’s Next Steps and the Road Ahead
After facing one of her most serious career setbacks since her rise to fame, Gal Gadot must decide how to reestablish herself in a rapidly changing industry. Without the boost from Wonder Woman and with studios reluctant to take chances, Gadot’s strategy will hinge on selecting the right roles and securing collaboration with acclaimed filmmakers. Her ability to demonstrate staying power and appeal to global audiences will determine if she can retake her place among Hollywood’s A-listers.
