“I’ll Save Today, You Can Save The World”
Steve and Diana have clearly fallen in love by the time we reach the final act of the movie, but they each have a very different destiny to fulfil. While Ares threatens the world, people within the German forces threaten the lives of millions of innocents with a terrifying, weaponized gas. These threats reach their tipping points simultaneously, and must be dealt with in tandem – and, for a moment, it seems as though Wonder Woman, Steve and their friends are genuinely all out-gunned.
A massive explosion rocks the area, as German forces attempt to get a plane filled with gas bombs into the air and Ares confronts Wonder Woman. Our hero is knocked from her feet, and left briefly shell-shocked and deafened. Steve appears by her side, and helps her to her feet – earnestly explaining an idea he has to resolve the situation. In this first version of the scene, we cannot hear what Steve’s saying, because the tale is told from Diana’s perspective. It’s clear he’s saying goodbye, though – and he leaves her with his watch, before running after the plane and piloting it himself away from populated areas.
A short time later, however, as Diana searches for meaning in the actions of humanity, and for a reason to save them, she begins to understand what Steve said to her before he disappeared into the clouds.
“I’ll save today, you can save the world.” He tells her he loves her, and then sacrifices his life for millions of innocent strangers.
This is the inspiration Diana needs to fight for humanity, just as Diana was the inspiration Steve needed to save the day. Steve takes care of the immediate problem of the bombs to enable Diana to concentrate on battling Ares – just as Diana drew German fire so the Allied forces could get across the battlefield. This is the peak of a gloriously positive symbiotic relationship between superhero and human – just as we’ve seen in Man Of Steel, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and Richard Donner’s Superman.
It’s a staple of the more uplifting contributions to the comic book movie genre, because it speaks to our desire to find inspiration to be better, and to do better. As the young Diana tried so hard to emulate the Amazon warriors while training, we try just as hard to honour the values of our own favourite heroes. That is why Wonder Woman is the superhero we need.