Paradise Lost has a big promise to fulfill, but doing so could make it one of the DCU’s best upcoming releases. When James Gunn announced the first chapter of the DCU’s reboot, it included a Wonder Woman spinoff series titled Paradise Lost. The television series will be a prequel story that focuses on Themyscira, also known as Paradise Island. Most notably the birthplace of Wonder Woman, the island serves as a sanctuary for the Amazons.

Though not much is currently known about Paradise Lost, Gunn has marketed the series as having a similar tone to Game of Thrones. In the first DCU announcement video, Gunn stated that Paradise Lost would be “almost like Game of Thrones with Westeros, but with all of the inhabitants of Paradise Island.” It is definitely a big promise to fulfill, especially since the revamped DCU’s reputation depends on the first chapter performing well. However, if the show does follow through with Gunn’s promise, it will easily make it one of the highlights of the upcoming DCU slate.

Paradise Lost’s Game Of Thrones Promise Makes The Wonder Woman Prequel Something Truly Special

Game of Thrones has been one of the most popular TV series in recent years, and its popularity has only picked up since House Of The Dragon’s release. The Game of Thrones prequel has expanded on the franchise’s universe without having to take away from the original show. If Gunn’s comparison of Game of Thrones and Paradise Lost ends up being accurate, then that means that the series will truly be something special.

Wonder Woman herself is a beloved DC character, but her participation in the DCEU timeline was hit-or-miss. Wonder Woman was generally positively-received, but its sequel Wonder Woman 1984 received plenty of criticism. House Of The Dragon’s success bodes well for prequel projects like Paradise Lost, as fans of big franchises always love to see the universe being developed. Wonder Woman may have hit a lull in the DCEU, but a prequel show expanding on the lore of Themyscira may just be what the franchise needs to revive interest.

Paradise Lost Can Prove The DCU Is Fully Pulling Off A Truly Challenging Superhero Franchise Task

If Paradise Lost’s tone really is similar to Game of Thrones, then the prequel series can pull off a challenging superhero franchise task that the biggest studios still struggle with to this day. The common criticism about the superhero genre amongst general audiences is that the superhero storytelling formula is too predictable. However, being a show akin to Game of Thrones means that Paradise Lost will blend a series of genres and tones together that can give some depth to the superhero genre.

Gunn’s promise gives hope that the Wonder Woman prequel will go beyond the conventional superhero fare. Game of Thrones developed an incredibly rich world with Westeros, and any series that compares itself to them must provide a lore-rich world alongside intriguing characters and their complex relationships. There is plenty of storytelling potential with the Amazons and Themyscira as a whole, so it will just be up to whether Paradise Lost can nail its tone and truly prove what the revamped DCU is capable of.

Game of Thrones’ Resurgence In Popularity Makes The DCU Promise An Even Bigger Task

Game of Thrones has received a resurgence in popularity thanks to House Of The Dragon, and the DCU hopes to follow its footsteps with their own prequel series. However, such popularity makes this promise an even bigger task to fulfill. Realistically, no one is expecting Paradise Lost to be exactly like Game of Thrones, but the storytelling has to be on par for the comparison to hold up. If Paradise Lost isn’t a richly-developed prequel like House Of The Dragon, then it will fall especially flat after Gunn’s own early comparisons to Game of Thrones.

While little is known about the series, the parallels between it and the fantasy epic are already apparent, as the premise of the show being a look into Themyscira’s inhabitants is similar enough to the exploration of Westeros, and the mythos of Wonder Woman similarly leans into tales of gods and myths while also not always directly featuring these fantastical figures. As such, Paradise Lost could set the stage for Wonder Woman’s return perfectly if done right, but this approach will require a deeply nuanced approach to the hero’s world and lore that has hitherto seldom been seen in adaptations.