What Can We Expect From the HBO Max Wonder Twins Movie?

Cover of Wonder Twins #1. Copyright Wonder Comics, DC Comics

Move over Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog…a Wonder Twins movie is coming!

HBO Max Announces Wonder Twins DC Movie

Via The Hollywood Reporter comes the awesome news of a live-action Wonder Twins film: ‘Wonder Twins’ DC Movie in the Works With Adam Sztykiel to Write, Direct (Exclusive)

Warner Bros. is activating the power of the Wonder Twins.

The Burbank-based studio has hired Adam Sztykiel, who worked on the upcoming Black Adam, to write and direct an original live-action feature for HBO Max based on the DC characters.

Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey of Temple Hill — the prolific banner whose credits range from The Twilight Saga and The Maze Runner to The Fault in Our Stars and Love, Simon — will produce the project, which will be titled Wonder Twins.

The DC Wonder Twins movie is a joint production between DC Films, HBO Original Films, and Temple Hill Entertainment.

A Super Brief History of DC’s Wonder Twins

Scene of the Wonder Twins Zan and Jayna and their monkey sidekick, Gleek, from The All-New Super Friends Hour. Copyright Hanna-Barbera Productions and DC Comics

The DC Wonder Twins superheroes made their debut on Hanna-Barbera’s animated superhero television show The All-New Super Friends Hour in the episode “Joy Ride” (1977). They replaced the sad and painfully unfunny trio of Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog. It’s a great example of making lemonade out of lemons because the Wonder Twins are way cooler while also being loveable dorks.

If you’re learning about the Wonder Twins for the first time or need a refresher, here’s the lowdown: The Wonder Twins’ names are Zan and Jayna. They’re alien siblings from the planet Exxoria who, when they bump fists and say “Wonder Twin powers—activate!” can shapeshift into new forms. Jayna can become any animal while Zan can become any form of water. The Wonder Twins’ monkey sidekick is Gleek. Their mission: to help the Justice League protect Earth from villains and other threats.

Since the Super Friends cartoon, the Wonder Twins have appeared in various mediums, including comics (the best one being Wonder Twins from Wonder Comics); TV shows like Smallville, cartoons like Teen Titans Go! and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (Adult Swim); and movies like The Lego Batman Movie (albeit all too briefly).

Scene of the Wonder Twins on Smallville. Copyright Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar Gough Ink, DC Comics, Warner Bros. Television

The Wonder Twins have achieved such cult popularity that they get neat homages, such as “The Drama Twins” in Top Cow’s Freshmen comic book series by Seth Green (of Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken fame) and Hugh Sterbakov.

The appeal of the Wonder Twins comes from a) their dorky personalities b) their sibling bond, and c) the collaborative nature of their superpowers. Neither can transform without the other.

The popularity of these cult classic superheroes leads to some burning questions about what we can expect from the Wonder Twins movie that will stream on HBO Max. As a longtime fan of the Wonder Twins, I’m happy to step up to the plate. Let the speculation begin!

Will the HBO Max Wonder Twins Movie be serious or comedic?

On The All-New Super Friends Hour, the original Wonder Twins were junior superheroes as well as comic relief, so I imagine the tone of the live-action movie will be more like the sunshine Shazam! than grumpy old Batman.

I hope the Wonder Twins movie has the same combination of action and comedy as Shazam! because I love that film. Are you excited about Shazam! Fury of the Gods? Because I’m excited. Let’s be excited together!

What will the Wonder Twins’ costumes look like?

I’m all for the live-action film using the same costumes the Wonder Twins wore in The All-New Super Friends Hour. The colors work together super well, so why reinvent the wheel?

That said, I’m an old-school fan, but I’m open to a fresh reinvention. Honestly, the filmmakers should save themselves time and adapt the sleek costumes featured in the Wonder Twins comic book series by Wonder Comics. The decision is ultimately not up to me, but that’s my two cents.

How much will we learn about the Wonder Twins’ origins?

Will the live-action Wonder Twins movie keep their Exxorian origin the same, add more information, adapt the existing background content from the Wonder Twins comics (the Wonder Comics version), or reinvent their origin story altogether?

There’s also the question of how much the feature film will focus on the characters’ origin. The movie could just as well present the Wonder Twins as already established superheroes on Earth with only brief references to their alien background.

We just don’t know. Honestly, I’ll be happy with anything as long as the movie is good.

Will Gleek the monkey be in HBO Max’s Wonder Twins movie?

Nickelodeon did a decent job with Boots in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (a Dora the Explorer live-action movie), so a big-budget Gleek should be fine. Plus, someone’s gotta toss that pail of Zan water at the villain.

Will Zan and Jayna say their signature catchphrase, “Wonder Twin powers—activate?”

And also, “form of a…”? It wouldn’t be a Wonder Twins movie without the catchphrase. “Wonder Twin powers—activate!” is the line everybody remembers from The All-New Super Friends Hour and for good reason: it’s a cool line! Frankly, who hasn’t done an impression of that line?

Which water forms will Zan take?

On The All-New Super Friends Hour, Zan was limited in how he could transform, which resulted in many pitiful scenes of Gleek dousing villains with a pail of Zan water. In fact, his transformations were so groan-worthy that years later, Zan was relegated to a desk job in the “You’re Fired” episode of Teen Titans Go!. It was a nod to how pitiful his powers could be.

Zan fared better in the comics because fewer artistic limitations exist in that medium (as far as budget is concerned). The Wonder Comics version of Zan does a great job of balancing his dorky Super Friends water transformations with inventive new ones.

Given the advanced special effects possible in movies these days, the sky’s the limit for the newest film incarnation of the Wonder Twins. In the HBO Max DC Wonder Twins film, Zan could be a tsunami, an iceberg, a cyclone, or even a dense fog to make the villain directionally challenged!

Ooh, might he shift into a sharp icicle and stab a villain? The idea of Zan stabbing a villain with his own body in icicle form is kinda gory, and I’m not actually advocating for that, but it’s an example of how dark HBO Max’s Wonder Twins movie could be if the filmmakers wanted to go there. But they won’t, which is as it should be. Plus, there’s always Wonder Twins fan fiction!

Now for the most important question of all:

Will we learn about the origin of The Pail?

Scene of Gleek, Zan, and Jayna from The All-New Super Friends Hour. Copyright Hanna-Barbera Productions and DC Comics

In The All-New Super Friends Hour, The Pail appears out of nowhere during the many times Zan becomes water and is sometimes carried by Jayna in bird form. But where the heck did The Pail come from??!! The HBO Max Wonder Twins movie really needs to answer this burning question.

That’s all for today’s speculation about the forthcoming Wonder Twins movie. In the meantime, here’s how you can become a Wonder Twins superfan—read this Screen Rant article!

Wonder Twins Powers Activate: 10 Interesting Facts About The DC's Dynamic Duo

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Thanks for reading!

If you’re a fan of the Wonder Twins, you might also enjoy the following sci-fi romances of mine:

Julie & Winifred’s Most Excellent Adventure (geek fandom fun!)

Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts (steampunk western with a dorky automaton gunslinger sidekick!)

A Knight in Shining Clockwork (a dorky male MC, plus it’s free!)