Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has taken a firm stand on the sexual harassment scandal that is sweeping Hollywood.

The Israeli actress, who delighted cinema audiences worldwide with her performance in the Warner Brothers superhero adventure, has announced that she will not take part in its keenly anticipated sequel unless director Brett Ratner’s production company is removed from the deal.

Ratner’s RatPac-Dune Entertainment has a co-financing deal with Warner Bros. that will end in 2018.

Ms Gadot is widely perceived as the most bankable star of Warners Bros' "shared universe" of DC Comics superheroes which continues this week with the release of Justice League.

Six actresses, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, have accused 48-year-old Mr Ratner of sexual assault although the X-Men director’s lawyer, Marty Singer, disputes the allegations.

A Warner Bros insider told Page Six: “Brett made a lot of money from the success of Wonder Woman thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie. Now Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros buys Brett out and gets rid of him

“She’s tough and stands by her principles. She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet.

“She also knows that Warner Bros has to side with her on this issue as it develops. They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man [who is] accused of sexual misconduct against women.”

This weekend Ms Gadot was due to present Mr Ratner with an award  from the Jewish National Fund at a gala in Hollywood, but withdrew, apparently due to a scheduling conflict.

Instead, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, who has known Mr Ratner for years, presented him with the award, saying: "He’s gone on to be this real power in this town. He’s a big character. He’s a big personality. But you know what I love about Brett - he wants that for everybody else too.”