Gal Gadot has become one of the most prominent action stars in film and the new trailer for Heart of Stone shows her return to Netflix with what could launch yet another franchise for her and the streaming service. The film looks to be an exciting international action thriller in the vein of Mission: Impossible, which has the makings of a hit.
Since moving to America to become an actress after breaking out as a model in Israel, Gadot has rocketed to stardom in some of the biggest movies every year. She manages to bring her personal charm to every role she takes, and it’s made her a hot commodity. In just 14 years, she’s built up quite the resume of success.
10 ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’ (2016)
IMDb Score: 5.9/10
Keeping Up with the Joneses is about a cul-de-sac couple who become jealous when their new neighbors turn out to be perfect, gorgeous elites. The twist is that the neighbors are spies and the relationship isn’t what it seems. With Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher as one couple and Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot as the other, it should have been fun, but didn’t end up coming together quite as planned.
Despite the 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was a good risk at the time for Gadot, who got to dip her toe into the comedy world for the first time outside a single episode guest spot on Entourage. Her chemistry with Galifianakis was fun and translated later to a role in his feature adaptation Between Two Ferns: The Movie.
9 ‘Red Notice’ (2021)
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
When Red Noticewas first being sold around Hollywood, it sparked a heated auction based on the star package of Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber. Netflix won the bidding, and it has become one of their most successful films despite mixed reviews.
The reviews are largely justified when looking at the narrative critically, but the individual character work allowed each of the mega-stars to do exactly what they do best. Audiences loved the film, which is why Netflix skipped past just a sequel and is already planning a trilogy of films. The twist at the end, whether expected or not, is part of the fun, double-crossing structure that could make this Gadot’s chance for another iconic character.
8 ‘Death on the Nile’ (2022)
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Following the success of Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh continued his series of Agatha Christie revivals with Death on the Nileand Gal Gadot was the first member of the ensemble cast to be announced. She was later joined by Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey, Armie Hammer and more.
Gadot played Linnet Ridgeway, an heiress who marries Hammer’s Simon Doyle and sets out on a honeymoon cruise of the Nile with a group of future murder suspects. It shouldn’t be a spoiler that it is Linnet who is victim of the titular death, placing Gadot front and center throughout the strong who-dun-it movie. The continued success of the franchise allowed for a third installment: A Haunting in Venice.
7 ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
Preceding Gal Gadot’s solo film, her first appearance as Wonder Woman came in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film mostly focused on the two leads, but Gadot’s Diana Prince managed to steal scenes throughout the film, leading up to her climactic entrance in full costume for the final battle with Doomsday.
This is also what introduced Wonder Woman’s now signature music sting, composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. The sharp sounds of an electric cello are meant to evoke the screams of banshees. Even without seeing her, audiences know Wonder Woman is coming from the score, which appeared again in her cameo in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
6 Fast & Furious (2009)
IMDb Score: 6.5/10
Fast & Furious was Gal Gadot’s first film and it launched her career. The story is that she auditioned for the part in Quantum of Solace that would later go to Olga Kurylenko and while she didn’t get that role, the same casting director thought of her when the role of Gisele Yashar came up. Gal Gadot encapsulates the international brand that the Fast franchise has always embodied.
The film uses the classic Fast structure introducing someone the audience will grow to love as a member of the villain’s side. Gisele initially works for Arturo Braga, but later comes to help Dom and Brian travel to Mexico to take Braga down. Gisele was a fierce addition to the universe and the performance was supported by Gadot doing her own stunts. Her training from Israeli military service was a big part of why.
5 ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ (2018)
IMDb Score: 7/10
The phenomenon of Wonder Woman didn’t just launch that character, it also started to create auditory links between strong, female characters and just the sound of Gal Gadot’s voice. Her Israeli accent is unique among her peers and her value add to the marketing is immeasurable, which is why she was the perfect fit for Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Following the events of the first film, Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) feels stagnated by the lack of challenge in her game, Sugar Rush. She’s later introduced to the much more challenging game of Slaughter Race, which is led by a racer named Shank, who Gadot voices. She and Silverman even share a song in the movie, which is much better than Gadot’s rendition of “Imagine.”
4 ‘Fast & Furious 6’ (2013)
IMDb Score: 7/10
2013 was a huge year for Gal Gadot, as Zach Snyder would confirm her casting as the DCEU‘s Wonder Woman for the next decade, which meant her future in the Fast franchise was in doubt. Fast & Furious 6 gave Gisele Yashar the send-off that both the character and the actress deserved.
The sixth installment sees Gisele and Han in love, leading to Gisele finally making the choice to give up the spy game to have a real life together. Her arc’s conclusion takes a turn when Mia needs rescuing. Gisele sacrifices herself to save Han, allowing Gadot to take a break for four movies until her inevitable return to the franchise.
3 ‘Fast Five’ (2011)
IMDb Score: 7.3/10
Fast Five is one of the rare movie sequels deep in the franchise as good or better than the original. Dwayne Johnson was one of a couple obstacles added in the way of Dom Toretto as he put together one last heist that can pay for their lives and generations beyond. Having been on the opposite side in the fourth movie, Gisele joins the famous family for part five.
The film is pivotal to reinvigorating the franchise and is why Universal has continued all the way to Fast Xand at least an eleventh installment. The third act climax where Dom and Brian drive a safe through Rio is one of the best action sequences ever filmed and set the stage for Fast X‘s revenge plot. Gisele falls for Han by the end of the movie, setting up their sweet story in the sequel.
2 ‘Wonder Woman’ (2017)
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Gal Gadot’s most iconic role has made an impact far bigger than just the film itself. The DCEU origin story directed by Patty Jenkins was arguably the strongest of the whole cinematic universe. Gadot embodied Diana Prince’s strength in many ways and the empowerment she inspired is important to the world.
Set during World War I, Wonder Womanshowed the hero fighting alongside troops, including the defining No Man’s Land sequence where she walked straight through the battlefield. It also gave a deeper look at Themyscira, the Amazonian homeland she comes from that has intriguing combat rituals. If not the best of her films, this is definitely the best performance of Gal Gadot’s career.
1 ‘Zach Snyder’s Justice League’ (2021)
IMDb Score: 8/10
With a tragic personal loss interfering with his professional life, Zach Snyder was forced to step away from the cinematic universe he was tasked with launching, leading to a version from Joss Whedon that critics and fans derided. Years of pleading from fans finally led to Warner Brothers relenting and releasing a 242-minute cut called Zach Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max.
The new version represented a far more consistent vision for the film than the original and gave more time to delve into each of the many characters in the cast. It was too late for the film to get any type of follow-up, but the release at least allowed viewers closure after a long saga of hoping.
