Hold up movie fans because Gal Gadot is about to show us a side we've never seen before! We all know her as the amazing Wonder Woman the action hero the ultimate good gal. But get ready because she's ditching the lasso of truth for a poison apple and stepping into the wicked shoes of the Evil Queen in Disney's upcoming live-action Snow White. Yes you heard that right VILLAIN mode activated for Gal Gadot and it sounds like she is having a blast .
From Hero to Hiss-worthy: Gal Gadot Takes on Her First Ever Villain Role After 20+ Years in Hollywood
Believe it or not after over two decades in the movie biz and more than 20 movie appearances Snow White marks a serious first for Gal Gadot. This is her very first time playing a straight-up villain on screen! Think about it. Wonder Woman? Hero. Gisele in Fast & Furious? Good guy (mostly). Even in action flicks like Red Notice and Heart of Stone she is always on the side of right.
So why now why the Evil Queen? Well it seems like Gadot is excited to show off her range and do something completely different. She told The Hollywood Reporter that the role is "delicious and delightful" and that she is getting to go full-on theatrical with her performance. Her daughter even joked it was "appropriate" casting. Ha!
Director Marc Webb who is at the helm of Snow White says Gadot is killing it as the Queen . He mentioned she is both "dangerous and fun" which is exactly what you want in a Disney villain. He even thinks we might see a lot of Evil Queen costumes for Halloween thanks to Gal's performance. Get ready for a wicked good time!
Campy Kooky and Unhinged: Inside Gal Gadot's Approach to the Evil Queen - It's All About the Drama
Forget subtle and scary. Gal Gadot's Evil Queen sounds like she is going to be a full-blown drama queen in the best way possible. She describes the character as "theatrical and vain... grand... bigger than life... kooky campy unhinged." Sounds like a recipe for some seriously entertaining villainy. She even gets to sing! Turns out Gal did some musical theater way back in Israel in a Hanukkah show where she played the Little Mermaid. There is even footage online if you can find it think Eurovision meets fairy tale.
Gadot admits singing "All's Fair" for the movie was new territory for her and a bit nerve-wracking. But she dove in headfirst and trusted the process. She's her own toughest critic about her voice but she thinks it works for the character. Webb agrees saying she "can sell that delicious song" and that her performance has the "perfect combination for a Disney villain" being both scary and fun.
But the part Gadot really loved? Transforming into the Old Hag to trick Snow White with the poison apple. She spent four hours in prosthetics to become the beastly old woman and loved disappearing into the role. She said it was "liberating" to not have people react to her usual persona and to just be a "blank page" doing whatever she wanted. Sounds like she went full method villain!
Beyond Wonder Woman and Wickedness: Gal Gadot's Life Juggling Motherhood Business and Superpowers
Of course Gal Gadot is more than just Wonder Woman and now the Evil Queen. She is a busy mom of four daughters her youngest just turned one. She co-owns a healthy mac and cheese company called Goodles (random but cool!). She served in the Israeli Armed Forces and was Miss Israel before Hollywood came calling. She is basically superhuman in real life too.
Even Wonder Woman might not be indestructible though. Gal shared a personal story about a scary health issue she faced during her youngest daughter's pregnancy. She had a blood clot in her brain and needed emergency surgery. She is thankfully fully recovered now and is grateful for life and "the simple moments." It's a reminder that even superheroes are human.
With four daughters growing up in the age of social media and filters Gal is also focused on teaching them about true beauty. She tells them what they see online is often "false not true" and tries to be a role model by playing strong female characters that transcend time like Wonder Woman and now Cleopatra which she is developing into a project. She is drawn to "strong inspiring groundbreaking women" and wants to tell their stories right.
Controversy and Scaled-Back Premiere: Snow White's Road to the Big Screen
Snow White has not been without its bumps in the road. The movie has faced some controversies. Some fans questioned casting a Latina actress Rachel Zegler as Snow White. Zegler herself got some heat for calling the original 1937 movie "dated." Peter Dinklage criticized the portrayal of the dwarfs saying it perpetuated stereotypes though Disney has said they consulted with the dwarfism community and are taking a "different approach" with those characters.
Politics have also played a role. Zegler has shown support for Palestine online while Gadot who is Israeli has been a vocal supporter of Israel especially after the October 7th Hamas attack. This has led to some online clashes and even protests. The Hollywood premiere for Snow White in March is being scaled back. Disney is reportedly limiting the red carpet coverage to photographers and a house crew instead of inviting dozens of media outlets. No official reason was given by Disney but it is happening amid these controversies.
Gal Gadot's Must-See Roles: Beyond Wonder Woman and the Evil Queen
Want to see more of Gal Gadot's work? Here are a few highlights beyond her iconic superhero and villain roles:
- Fast & Furious Franchise (Gisele Yashar): Before Wonder Woman Gal was known for her role as Gisele in the Fast & Furious movies starting with Fast & Furious (2009).
- Keeping Up with the Joneses (Natalie Jones): A fun action-comedy where Gadot stars alongside Jon Hamm Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher as a super spy.
- Death on the Nile (Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle): Gadot shines in this Agatha Christie adaptation as the glamorous and wealthy Linnet.
- Red Notice (The Bishop): An action-comedy-thriller on Netflix where she plays a skilled art thief opposite Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds.
- Heart of Stone (Rachel Stone): Another Netflix action thriller where Gadot is an intelligence agent trying to protect a valuable asset.
- Festigal (The Little Mermaid): For a truly unexpected glimpse check out online footage of young Gal as the Little Mermaid in an Israeli Hanukkah show!
From Amazon Princess to Wicked Royalty: Gal Gadot's Next Chapter is Just Getting Started
So Gal Gadot is taking a walk on the wicked side and we are here for it. Her Evil Queen in Snow White sounds like it is going to be campy theatrical and totally unforgettable. It is a bold and exciting career move for an actress who is already conquered the superhero world. Despite some controversies surrounding the film it sounds like Gal Gadot is ready to cast her spell and show us all why being bad can be oh so good. Get ready for a different kind of magic from Gal Gadot when Snow White arrives in theaters!