Actress Gal Gadot will play the mighty Amazon in Batman vs. Superman. Source: DC Entertainment.

After weeks of speculation, Time Warner's (TWX) DC Entertainment has found its Wonder Woman: Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

Confused? You aren't alone. Gadot's filmography is limited to a handful of TV spots and three appearances in the six films of The Fast and the Furious franchise. She plays the former Mossad agent Gisele, who becomes a trusted member of Vin Diesel's crew of car thieves.

Her presence did nothing to hurt the box office. Fast & Furious put up 2009's seventh-best opening weekend on the way to $363.1 million in worldwide grosses. Her 2011 follow-up, Fast Five, topped $600 million worldwide after a 15-week run at the box office while this year's Fast & Furious 6 earned just short of $789 million over the same period. 

Now she graduates from car thief to one the world's most famous superheroines -- and with Lynda Carter's blessing, no less.

Predictably, the choice has brought mixed reactions. You'll find some of the best here, courtesy of Alex Zalben over at MTV News. What am I expecting from Gadot? More than a cameo, that's for sure. Here's what director Zack Snyder had to say about casting her for Batman vs. Superman:

Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.

Big words from a filmmaker with a big budget, and now, a cast that includes the Justice League's Big Three: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Add four more heroes and you've got a full team. Introducing them one film at a time, as Marvel and Walt Disney (DIS -1.01%) did with The Avengers, probably isn't necessary thanks to the success of Arrow.

But don't take my word for it. Look at the ratings. This week's episode, which introduces Grant Gustin as police scientist Barry Allen (i.e., the Flash), drew 3.165 million viewers -- a season high.  Stephen Amell's emerald archer is also fit for a Justice League film, seeing as his character is already on a collision course with infamous DC Universe villains such as Brother Blood, Ra's al Ghul, Professor Ivo, and Deathstroke. Using Arrow and a planned Flash TV spinoff to develop both characters could take pressure off Snyder and the brass at Warner Bros. films to fund expensive "origin" movies that would otherwise be needed to tee up up the team up.

Maybe that's the point of all this. Maybe, in adopting Batman vs. Superman as the code name, DC is disguising the truth that it's next movie is about more than the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Rather, it's shaping up to be the origin of the Justice League.

You can't have the JLA without Wonder Woman. In casting Gadot, Snyder and DC have just solved that problem.