Netflix users left ‘howling’ after ‘wild inclusion’ in new Gal Gadot film Heart of Stone

‘I had to rewind it to double check,’ one viewer wrote

Netflix viewers watching Heart of Stone were left blindsided by the costume of choice for one character.

The new spy thriller, which was released on Friday (11 August), stars Gal Gadot as an international agent who must protect an artificial intelligence system from falling into enemy hands.

Her attempts lead her to Senegal, where she falls into danger and is chased by a team of locals who have been bribed by the film’s villain, Parker (Jamie Dornan).

It’s here that many viewers noticed one of the locals chasing Gadot’s character was wearing something they didn’t expect to see: a Middlesborough FC shirt from the 2009/10 season.

“How the hell did this happen?” one perplexed fan asked, adding: “Sat watching the new @GalGadot film and a bloody Boro fan is trying to kill her!!!”

Another called it a “wild inclusion”, stating: “Did not expect to see an old @Boro shirt in #HeartOfStone.”

One viewer said they had to “rewind it to double-check” it was actually a Middlesborough shirt.

“Just watched Heart of Stone on @NetflixUK, and a random mercenary is just casually wearing an old @Boro top,” they wrote.

A vintage Middlesborough FC shirt in Netflix film ‘Heart of Stone’ (Netflix)

Find more reactions to the unexpected moment below.

Heart of Stone was called “drab” and “forgettable” in The Independent’s review by film critic Clarisse Loughrey.

The film comes days after it was reported that as third Wonder Woman film would not be moving ahead – despite Gadot’s claims otherwise.

In December 2022, just days after Gadot expressed excitement about returning as the superhero character, it was announced that DC would not be moving forward with the franchise.

The news landed after James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped in as chiefs of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), with The Hollywood Reporter claiming that a treatment for the film “did not fit in with” the studio’s plans.

Gadot, who at first said she felt “empowered” by the decision, then claimed in an interview with ComicBook.com: “What I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together.”

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (Warner Bros)

She went on to state in a more recent interview with Flaunt magazine while promoting Heart of Stone ahead of the SAG-AFTRA Hollywood strikes: “I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman – you’ve got nothing to worry about.’ So time will tell.”

However, Variety is reporting that there are no active plans to develop a new Wonder Woman film, and that there was never any definitive discussion with Gadot about returning as the character.

This has prompted widespread confusion, with many fans questioning whether either Gadot or Gunn and Safran had been dishonest about the future of the project.