I saved the examination of Wonder Woman for last because while the clash between Superman and Batman is selling the show, Wonder Woman’s inclusion is the most important silver screen debut in a superhero blockbuster.
Wonder Woman is the one major comic character that hasn’t been featured in a movie. She is the measuring stick for how all female superheroes are judged. Wonder Woman believes in equality for herself, her people, and anyone else who is the victim of tyranny or oppression.
Canonically speaking, Diana Prince doesn’t just share the field with Batman and Superman, she is their equal and this film needs to begin the process of establishing that point across a broader spectrum than just the printed page. Gal Gadot is the big unknown, as she is known more for her resume on the runway than her work in front of the camera.
While she did a serviceable job with her role in the most recent The Fast and the Furious films, the performances were short and didn’t reveal whether she is suited for a lead role, especially this one.
While we can’t accurately critique the Israeli fashion model, there are a few actresses who have worn the star crested tiara and magic lasso of truth.
Cathy Lee Crosby
Wonder Woman (1974)
If you’re looking at this photo, you’re probably thinking that we stumbled across some uninspired Cosplay.
Well, you would be wrong because this really happened. This movie was originally a television pilot order by ABC in 1974 that the network did not pick up. During this time in the comic books, Wonder Woman had lost her powers, which is how the creators justified having Cathy Lee Crosby play a powerless and very different version of the character.
The costume looked like something Evel Knievel would wear and there was no tiara, and lasso of truth was replaced with a trusty utility belt. Oh, she had blonde hair, too.
This was Wonder Woman done on a shoestring budget and it shows in every aspect of the production. The acting and the plot was all kinds of boring and bordered on parody, which prevented the former tennis pro from serving up a good performance.
Adrianne Palicki
Wonder Woman 2011 (unaired pilot)
The unaired pilot of David E. Kelly’s Wonder Woman series, minus the special effects, leaked online after NBC passed on the show.
After seeing what they were able to conjure up, it’s not hard to understand why. Friday Night Light’s star Adrianne Palicki was cast in the titular role and things got off on the wrong as the reaction to her costume was dammed with faint praise. Palicki looked the part and was convincing as a charming badass. In fact, she is the only good thing about this one-time offering.
However, anything of merit she brought to this difficult role gets lost in the pilot’s vortex of awfulness consisting of but not limited to gawd awful dialogue and Wonder Woman straight up threatening to kill people.
Lynda Carter
Wonder Woman (1975 – 1979)
Even today, guys have a hard time imagining a woman coming to their rescue.
That attitude was even more prevalent in the 70’s, but Lynda Carter made people believe as she fought the bad guys and saved the day in a skintight outfit.The famous spinning transformation of Diana Prince into Wonder Woman was derived from the show (Carter has been credited for coming up with the idea) and was later installed in the comics.
Carter is the first person people think of when hearing the name Wonder Woman. It’s a distinction the Arizona native has held for over 30 years. She wonderfully played the role and embodied the essence of the character with the perfect blend of innocence and heroism.
Recapping the Drama of BvS
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice will be released in theaters next week, and for almost three years now, speculation has been running rampant as to whether the movie will be any good. Seriously, I haven’t heard this much conjecture about anything since Jenny Doddery supposedly slept with the football team’s starting lineup during my junior year of high school.
Ben Affleck’s casting as the Caped Crusader almost brought about the end of civilization, model Gal Gadot being tapped to play Wonder Woman was met with overwhelming dissatisfaction, and Jesse Eisenberg landing the role of Lex Luthor left people shaking their head in bewilderment.
On the creative side of things, the film’s release was pushed back three times and shared a temporary residence with Marvel Studio’s Captain America: Civil War after Warner Bros claimed they wouldn’t budge. Director Zack Snyder’s accruing reputation for being a style over substance has given pause to those who yearn for an epic motion picture.
Academy Award winner Chris Terrio was brought in to rewrite the script that was originally penned by Zack Snyder and David Goyer, filming concluded in December 2014, which has called the movie’s release date into question, and the biggest sin of them all, Doomsday looks like an angry Ninja Turtle.
Now, the winds of change are slowly starting to turn the film’s staunch opposition into cautious optimism. Early rumors state that the film is good and maybe even really good, Batfleck is the bee’s knee and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman steals the show. While speculation can produce many different opinions, we won’t know anything for sure until we see the movie. Even though we all might want different things to come out of BvS it’s safe to say that we all want it to be amazing.
My Declaration for Batman v Superman
Batman v Superman needs to be a great film, not a good film because good isn’t good enough. While this film will establish the shared DC Films Universe, planting the seeds for future flicks with an Easter egg here and a cameo there is ancillary.
I want a movie that is worthy of the titular characters on the marquee while awakening my eight-year-old self. This film needs to finally settle every “who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman” argument I’ve ever had without dis-serving the iconic reputation of either hero.
The presentation of Wonder Woman deserves, needs, and must be the female heroine we’ve been longing for. No damsel in distress, none hidden social commentary about how women are just as strong as men. Diana Prince should be graceful, strong, and intelligent to the point where people walk out the theater calling her a superhero without the word “female” in front of it.
Superman needs to find himself so he can become the beacon of hope we all aspire to become.
Batman does enough brooding for the rest of us while residing in the dark. Let Superman be the light instead of worrying that people can’t relate to such an ideal.
The fight between Batman and Superman needs to be epic, logical, and have absolutely no plot holes with how the encounter is laid out. Batman can’t simply go in swinging with the “1%” rationality we’ve seen in the trailers.
Most important of all, there must be a winner. No ties, no draw, and certainly none of that cop-out storytelling where we’re left with an ambiguous ending where the audience decides who won or lost.
We’re paying our $11.50 for a ticket, you tell us the damn story.
Yes, I’m asking for a lot, but I’m just one fan.
I’m sure there are other passionate Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman fans who want this movie to do them justice as it dawns.
