Can we talk about Wonder Woman, and why I am at once both ecstatic and ticked off about the fact she’s finally coming to the big screen? In case you missed it (and where have you been hiding?), it was officially announced last week that actress Gal Gadot will play Wonder Woman/Diana in the upcoming Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman/Who Knows What It Will Be Called Next Week movie.
When I heard the news, I was knee-deep in a book deadline and fighting off a stomach bug and quite a bit stressed, but holy cow! This was amazing news! Fantastic! Anyone who knows me knows I have ranted for years about how my favorite superheroine deserves her own shot at a movie. She was kicking tail and taking names before there was ever a Buffy, Katniss, or Lara Croft. In fact, she paved the way and made it possible for every awesome heroine who has followed in her footsteps, including the ones in all of the great books we write.
I should probably state up front that while I love all my superheroes, Marvel and DC alike, I am and have always been a DC Comics gal at heart. When I was younger I, er, might have had this crazy thought that since I was tall and brunette (I’m 6’2 now, by the way) that I could totally be Wonder Woman someday. Plus, I had three brothers, so I was all about Wonder Woman fighting alongside Supes and Batman and sometimes, yes, sometimes she was the one who saved them when they got in trouble. Gail Simone, who wrote Wonder Woman about a decade ago, is kind of a personal hero of mine because of what she did with Diana. And did you know best-selling author Jodi Picoult is a former WW scribe too? What I wouldn’t give…
So yeah. Wonder Woman is a character near and dear to my heart. There's nothing I can say that probably hasn't already been said by someone in the comic book world, but still. Please humor me while I try to put my feelings into words.
I also delved deeper into this casting choice. In all honesty, I try not to make comments on casting until I actually see the person in the role. I suppose I'm different from the rest of the internet, which predictably exploded with venomous, self-righteous nerd rage. Okay, so I peeked at a clip of Ms. Gadot from one of the Fast and the Furious movies. I want to be fair, so I will only say that I understand the concerns many have that she’s been miscast and I will add a facepalm to that for good measure. But let's give her a chance before we crucify her, okay?
Speaking of nerd rage, I am still bitter Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman film got axed a dozen years ago. I bet the executives at Warner Brothers saw the box office numbers for The Avengers start to roll in and did a lot of facepalming themselves. (picture me glaring at those Warner Brothers executives now)
The short of it is, the upcoming Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman/Who Knows What It Will Be Called Next Week movie is bound to be a blockbuster. Fanboys and girls will be standing in line for the first opportunity to see these three on the big screen together. I don’t care how many people groused when Batfleck was cast. They WILL go see this movie and it will make loads of money for Warner Brothers.
So I’m guessing unless the movie is a real stinker, Diana will finally get her own film. All I can say is it’s about darn time, they had better do her justice, and I will be supportive of my-least-favorite-director-ever Zach Snyder and cross my fingers he gets her right. I will not flashback to that godawful movie Sucker Puck and go cry in the corner remembering Watchmen, but rather, I will remind myself that Snyder did give us Sarah Polley's refreshingly smart female lead in his Dawn of the Dead remake. I will be super supportive of Ms. Gadot and this movie until I see it and have reason not to be supportive.
Wonder Woman deserves nothing less from me.
What about you? What are your thoughts on the Wonder Woman news? Love it? Hate it? Could care less?
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Angela Campbell writes romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Learn more about her books at www.AngelaCampbellOnline.com.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. I would say more, but really, that's it -- just mixed feelings. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat, but I still have plenty to say. lol. Thanks for stopping by, Chris!
DeleteI'm with you on being more concerned with Snyder than Gadot. I'm just not familiar enough with her work to know whether she can pull it off. I don't think anyone really is. So, yeah, willing to give her a shot. This movie makes me nervous.
ReplyDeleteMe, too, Eleri, but I'm trying to remain optimistic!
DeleteYou've touched on a subject near and dear to my heart. All those Hollywood accountants who think a Wonder Woman film can't make money are completely out of touch with reality. She is -- by far -- one of the top 3 most iconic heroes, period. She deserves her own film, and shouldn't be making an appearance (no matter how large or small) in someone else's film. Green Lantern had his own film (as bad as it was)! WW deserves no less.
ReplyDeleteI know some people think WW can't translate to modern day, that she's too rooted in her past. I disagree. That's like saying you can't have Superman/Clark Kent because Clark Kent was a newspaper reporter and newspapers are going bust. WW can be updated, pulled into modern warfare and geopolitical conflict. She can be an Amazon, and a symbol of peace. She can be an icon of equality and freedom. Just don't let her become a second-tier hero fighting for the spotlight behind Superman and Batman.
Well said, Kevin. I agree 100%!
DeleteI wish Warner Bros. would let DC go if they're not going to make decent movies. Let someone else have it. I recently saw Man of Steel and couldn't believe how bad it was. They turned Superman into little more than a walking slab of muscle. The whole movie was joyless and lifeless, except for what little bit of life Amy Adams was allowed to bring to it. I'd love to see a good Wonder Woman movie but at this point, I think we're more likely to get a good Black Widow movie.
ReplyDeleteREALLY mixed feelings on this.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see Man of Steel for various reasons that made me dubious about it. And I'm REALLY dubious about sticking Wonder Woman into a movie that's already apparently going to have Supes AND Batman in it. I'm not sure I trust the movie to pull it off--and I'm very leery about the risk of setting Wonder Woman up as a romantic rival for Lois Lane. :|