Wonder Woman
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Written by: Jason Fuchs
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Lucy Davis, Said Taghmaoui and Elena Anaya.
Release Date: June 23rd, 2017
Wonder Woman promises to be everything it needs to be, and more. The Amazon Warrior’s first live-action solo film, and the first film of the modern superhero genre to be centred on a woman – Wonder Woman is a project with a heavy weight to bear. But, all signs suggest that its release will potentially usher in a new age for comic book movies.
Firstly, in terms of comic books, Wonder Woman has been around as long as Batman and Superman – but has never received the same media cross-over opportunities as her male counterparts. The consequence of that is that while The Dark Knight and the Big Blue Boy Scout have been adapted onto screens big and small countless times – becoming pop culture icons in the process – Wonder Woman hasn’t been seen in live-action since her TV show over 30 years ago. She is, however, a vital part of the DC universe, the third part of the ‘DC Trinity’, and a founding member of the Justice League.
Secondly, while there were negative murmurings from the usual quarters on announcement of her first solo film, there is one simple fact that confirms the quality of what we are about to see. The project was in development for some time, with several prospective scripts being commissioned simultaneously in what initially felt like something of a fishing expedition. But, almost immediately after it was confirmed that Warner Bros. executives were seeing early footage of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, the Wonder Woman film was green-lit, pushed into production, and handed a summer release date. It would seem that the performance of Gal Gadot in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice laid to rest any nonsensical concerns the studio had about the viability of a female-led superhero movie.
The film is set in the early 1900s, and will also feature Chris Pine in the role of Steve Trevor. So, how will a period piece fit into the DCEU overall? Well, in much the same way as Captain America: The First Avenger demonstrated Cap’s combat prowess during the most devastating global conflict of the 20th century by taking us back to World War II, so Wonder Woman will do the same for the DC universe, with World War I. The difference is, the Amazon Warrior doesn’t need to be frozen in ice to explain her modern-day presence in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. She’s Wonder Woman – a product of deities – and she’s been saving the world for generations.
