Gal Gadot is empowering women more than ever as she is cast as Cleopatra in an upcoming Paramount film. From a fierce fictional superhero, Wonder Woman to a Greek goddess, no one can really stop her now.

On Sunday, it was announced that the 35-year-old actress would play Cleopatra's role in an epic biographical drama, which will be directed by "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins.

In a Twitter post, Gal Gadot confirmed the news and expressed her excitement to play the said part.

I love embarking on new journeys; I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life," Gadot wrote.

"Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can't be more grateful about this A-team!!" she added, tagging Paramount Films and Jenkins.

In a follow-up Tweet, Gadot promised the audience an epic portrayal of Cleopatra as "she's never seen before."

"As you might have heard, I teamed up with @PattyJenks and @LKalogridis to bring the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to the big screen in a way she's never been seen before. To tell her story for the first time through women's eyes, both behind and in front of the camera," Gadot wrote.

Cleopatra is famous for being the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in ancient Egypt. While she is born in Egypt and daughter of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII and light-skinned, her ethnicity remains a mystery.

While Gal Gadot is famous for playing Wonder Woman, Gadot is far from the first white woman to play the role, including Claudette Colbert, Vivien Leigh, and Elizabeth Taylor. Thus, Gadot landing the role of Cleopatra has sparked controversy mainly because she is of Israeli descent.

Twitter Reacts

As soon as the announcement was made official online, Gal Gadot received backlash from people who think that she does not deserve to play the iconic Egyptian queen's role.

Critics emphasized that it is inappropriate for the Israeli actress to play the role and think an African or black actress should get the job.

"I'm sure Gal Gadot is going to do a wonderful job as Cleopatra. However, for me personally, I would love a Cleopatra who's darker than a brown paper bag, because that seems a bit more historically accurate," author Morgan Jerkins wrote.

"Which Hollywood dumb*ss thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim?" Journalist and former Miss New Jersey, Sameera Khan wrote.

"And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you're stealing their movie roles... smh," she added.

Meanwhile, others are quick to defend the actress and accused the haters of wrongly assuming Cleopatra was black and North African.

"Cleopatra was NOT black, she was of Greek descent, and there are even effigies of the time on how she looked like," one fan wrote.

"People are upset because Gal Gadot, who isn't black, is playing Cleopatra, who wasn't black either,' Journalist Ian Miles Cheong tweeted.

"Yes, she was in Egyptian ruler, but she was Greek with Persian and Syrian ancestry. The people who are reacting negatively to this are uneducated and uninformed. Gas Gadot deserves this role," another one added.

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