10) Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
The announcement of this movie (initially as Batman Vs Superman) was a curious thing – because it perfectly highlighted the way in which Wonder Woman is sidelined. She may be their equal in print, but in popular culture, Batman and Superman dominate the landscape thanks to decades of additional exposure. Once her involvement in the film was confirmed (with Gal Gadot cast), fans breathed a sigh of relief and rejoiced at her finally heading for the big screen. But, it seemed fairly incongruous that she should be relegated to a supporting role in their movie.
The title of the movie was then changed to Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, which made it even more curious. Though she periodically dips in and out of the series, many mainstream iterations of Justice League in the comic books has the team founded when Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman come together, and are joined by other heroes – not least in the 2006 re-launch. However, in this film adaptation, her equal contribution is erased right there in the title. As ever, despite her real stature, we’re supposed to just be grateful that she’s included at all.
The truth is, were we to live in a world where cinematic superheroes are treated on their merits, rather than their gender, Superman and Batman would have supporting roles in a Wonder Woman movie. Sadly, we live in a world where one of the most astounding superheroes ever created has to be sneaked onto the screen inside somebody else’s movie before she can stand alone. And until the game changes in 2017, that will have to do.
