Gal Gadot has just been cast in the increasingly bloated Man of Steel sequel now (not so) affectionately referred to as "Batman vs. Superman". I had mentioned in a previous post that I thought Warner Bros (WB) was doing Superman (and Batman) a disservice by putting them in the same film for (what appears to be) purely financial reasons. The addition of Wonder Woman (and Rumors of Barry Allen aka The Flash) in this film is proof that the WB is slowly transforming the Man of Steel sequel into a Justice League film without build up through solo film franchises (AKA the Marvel method) to develop the character(s). This method may have worked if there was some semblance of a plan in its inception. Yet, the more information that is released about the film's development, the more fans get the sense that they (the studio, Snyder and Goyer) are cobbling ideas together with dangerously weak plot threads (e.g. Wonder Woman is going to be a love interest for Bruce Wayne and her origins may be tied to ancient Kryptonians). Wonder Woman, Amazonian Princess (and now the God of War) deserves better than that.
Psychologist William Moulton Marston is credited as Wonder Woman's creator (even though it was Marston's wife and assistant that were the more than instrumental in the process) in 1941. The third Superhero in history, behind Superman (1938) and Batman (1939), Wonder Woman rounds out DC comics Holy Trinity. She is that important to our modern mythology.
While Superman and Batman have had 12 live action films, three live action TV shows, 5 animated TV shows and 5 animated movies combined, the question then remains: Why hasn't Wonder Woman received the same treatment? While in recent years there have been several attempts to get live action Wonder Woman projects off the ground (including a treatment written by Joss Whedon years before Avengers); she has shown up in several ensemble (Justice League) animated films and one solo animated film (that I have problems with). However, we are still clinging to a beloved (but short lived) TV show from the 1970's; even though Wonder Woman's defining moment came years before, when she graced the cover of MS. Magazine in 1963. At that moment, Wonder Woman became known more so as a cultural icon than a superhero. No matter how nostalgic, the public perception of Wonder Woman does not embody the brilliant battle hardened but compassionate warrior I've come to know and love from the comics (no offense to Linda Carter).
Any attempt to do something different with the character, to bring her public image more in line with her comic counterpart is routinely met with opposition. The recurring excuses that are often invoked is that "Wonder Woman is difficult." [Yeah, because a story about the bravest and most courageous person coming from a warrior culture whom is the child of a GOD is so difficult that it hasn't been done a thousand times over with a male lead. Hell, her original origin story parallels Adam's birth from the Bible.] Whenever, another attempt fails the response is always the same "We want to make sure we get her right." These "storylines are all subtle deflections from the simple reality of a clear gender bias in Superhero Cinema.
Like Pornography, most superhero films are created by, marketed to, and star boys and men. Therefore, these films seem to only have one narrowed world view ( a point of view that isn't shared by even a majority of men, but that is a separate post in and of itself). This vision is one that sees women as objects or eye candy who become interesting only when they are in an ensemble and usually tasked with "helping men",(Black Widow in The Avengers) or they fall victim to the "Women in Refrigerators" trope ( Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight ). The reason why Wonder Woman is "difficult" is because she does not fit into this narrow point of view; she obliterates it.
Wonder Woman embodies all of the wonderfully complex positive traits of humanity in the same way as Superman. She is both physically strong, and strong in character. She is the warrior, and the compassionate social crusader. She protects innocence, and deals swift justice to her enemies. She is not afraid to kill, but she does not do it haphazardly or without remorse. Also, regardless of how she is usually depicted, she is a person of color (her heritage is from a fabled Greek island known as Themyscira). This is an empowering image beyond the patriarchal bombardment women usually get that places value strictly in their bodies (both as a sex object and a vessel for the next generation). An image that is unfortunately tempered and controlled in the comics by sexualizing her and placing her in compromising positions (the comic book industry is also driven by men and therefore all female characters get the male gaze treatment).
One of the biggest examples of the male gaze is Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch. Now he has control of Wonder Woman, and I am afraid. I have not heard of Gal Gadot before this announcement. Yet, her credentials and filmography suggest that she was chosen because she fits the aforementioned patriarchal criteria. I do not have a problem with her, I have a problem with the hurried and seemingly superficial process that cast her. Also, while I do not promote body shame, Gal Gadot seems to be predisposed to be a thinner and smaller woman and Wonder Woman is neither. It will be interesting to see if she is going to be required to "bulk" up in same way Henry Cavil did for Superman or as Ben Affleck is doing for Batman. I am skeptical that she will be asked to put on too much muscle out of fear of losing sex appeal.
My personal choice for Wonder Woman is Gina Carano. I believe she has the screen gravitas and presence that Wonder Woman needs to have and while she is still green as far as acting I think she has potential. She is certainly as warrior, proven in this clip from the film Haywire.
In the end, The lack of Wonder Woman content, is not because producers and other executives don't see it as lucrative, its because the character of Wonder Woman doesn't fit their fabricated facsimile of a female that is often trotted out as if they were fulfilling a quota. Wonder Woman is empowerment, regardless of how she is continually silenced through comics and other media.
If You are interested in great Wonder Woman Content read:
Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia by Greg Rucka
Wonder Woman: The Circle and Ends of the Earth by Gail Simone
Wonder Woman Monthly title by Brian Azzarello
I will end this post with a great Wonder Woman clip from the animated film Superman/Batman Apocalypse
