That’s a comment that’s been going around the ‘Net for a few days (weeks, months) now about a Wonder Woman movie.
“She’s a tricky one to handle.”
Really, it’s that difficult to get a good story out of a female superhero. It seems to me that it would be fairly easy. As a matter of fact, it’s already been done once. Gail Simone had a helping hand in it with the release of the animated Wonder Woman movie. Starring Keri Russel in the title role and Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor. A lot of the stories of Greek myth were interwoven with the aspects of a modern superhero, and having Wonder Woman shocked at the treatment of women in the modern world was quite refreshing, and a different take on the world.
Wonder Woman isn’t hard to write a good movie script for. It’s basically 300, but with women and set more in a modern era. Even Wonder Woman’s uniform could be a throw back to the old Greek and Roman style armours that she’s been dressed in the comics. Like the leather skirting and the knee high armoured boots. And this would be an opportunity to not only take a chance with a female superhero, but it’d also be a chance to use a woman of colour. Many might argue that Greece and Italy are European, so that’d mean “white people only”, but that’s grossly ignorant of history. In Greece and Rome there were North Africans, Middle Eastern Arab and Persian people, there were Pakistani and East Indian people who all followed the trade routes. And Wonder Woman could have been born after the Silk Road began uniting people from different areas thanks to trade.
Even keep the story of Diana being formed from clay, and given life by her mother Hippolyta. The call back to ancient myth would be amazing. It’d be much different than the aspects of male superheroes that always have to have one motivation; death of family or threat of destruction. Wonder Woman is a warrior. Plain and simple. She’s no different than Xena in that regard.
As Gail Simone once said about DC’s holy trinity; “If you want to stop alien invasions, call Superman. If you want a mystery solved, call Batman. But if you want to stop a war, call Wonder Woman.”
But the needing of a Wonder Woman movie goes beyond wanting to have a kick ass lady in a superhero movie that in a genre has been dominated by men. We need a Wonder Woman movie because she represents not only a female icon, but the best of humanity, and the best of what we have to offer. Wonder Woman is just as iconic as Superman and Batman. Even those who don’t read comics will recognize the name, and many will recognize the outfit when they see a picture of her. There needs to be a Wonder Woman movie, because we need more icons to be visible. And we need diversity on our big screens and small screens.
It may sound silly, but if we want to progress as a society, to keep moving forward with our social awareness, then we need to have icons and myths that represent our ideals in this modern world. One of those icons happens to be Wonder Woman. And it’s about damn time that she got what she, what we all, deserve.
Turn the Page 
nmflemzy
July 29, 2013 at 2:45 pm
I disagree with some things here. I’ve never liked the ‘born from clay’ thing. That always sounded stupid to me. I’m glad DC re-conned that in the New 52 so I doubt that would be in the film. Secondly, Wonder Woman really is not as iconic as Batman and Supes. Yes, she infamous but not as big as those two.
But my main point is this: Wonder Woman’s world isn’t that relatable. She’s a god or human or something? It’s not that clear. Greek Gods are not that relatable either. Someone like the Flash, that would be a much more easier film to make. He’s basically what it says on the tin. He’s just a man from the city, not unlike Batman.
Those saying that, I’m not against a Wonderwoman film and while I disagree that is ‘easy’ it is possible. She does deserve one of her own before a Justice League.
Tim
July 29, 2013 at 3:03 pm
I honestly don’t think that Superman or Batman is relatable in the sense you’re referring to either. Superman is basically a god, his story was crafted to closely resemble a lot of elements out of the Bible. The entire rocketed to Earth from Krypton is an analogy of the baby Moses being set sail in a basket in the Bible.
Wonder Woman’s world can be completely relatable, if you’re willing to do it. And her current origin, being born of Zeus, is complete bullshit. Being born of clay basically says she was born of the women of Themyscia. She is a goddess, always has been. And Flash is a complete base from Greek and Roman myth. What do you think Mercury is, and those little lightning bolts on the side of his mask are complete rip offs of exactly the feathers from Mercury’s helmet. Hell, Jay Garrick/Flash of the Golden Age was exactly that, he even wore the exact same helmet.
Wonder Woman has always been a feminist icon. And she is as recognizable as Superman and Batman, with equal weight. By saying it’s not “easy” to make a Wonder Woman movie it’s showing how lazy a person is. There’s so much backstory that can be used.
After all, people went out and watched 300. It’s also a fact that the Wonder Woman animated movie out sold the Green Lantern animated movie and nearly outsold the Superman Batman Public Enemies movie.
However, you have every right to disagree if you want, but there’s a good number that would agree on this stand.
nmflemzy
July 30, 2013 at 6:28 am
‘Wonder Woman’s world can be completely relatable, if you’re willing to do it.’ Yeah, we agree on that. Anything could be given enough money and effort.
While Superman himself may not be relatable the world that he lives in very much is. It’s human world, with mostly human characters. Born on a farm, lives and works in the city all relateable. That’s my point
Also, I did not claim that WW wasn’t iconic but she is not in the same league as Supers or Bats. Very few things are. For example, the WW logo is not as instantly recognizable has the other two. The new Supers/Bats film was first revealed using just their logos. If they did that with WW not everyone would instantly get it. That is the level of “iconic-ness” that I’m talking about. Another thing, WW comics’ sales consistently struggle to match those those of Supes/Bats and even GL, Flash and Aquaman.
I think DC agree with me about the “clay” thing and that why they changed it. Still, we agree that a WW film should and could be made if done right. I dont think it’s as easy as you claim but still we agree on something. I hope you dont feel that I’m ranting at you. I see it as a healthy debate between two knowledgeable fellows =) You can’t agree on everything =P
Tim
July 30, 2013 at 6:36 am
I truly think that if just the WW logo was used as a teaser, enough people would get it. That’s a level of iconic that Wonder Woman is in.
As for the film being easy, it is if you use aspects of Greek myth which Wonder Woman is based on. There wasn’t any problem doing similar with Thor by using Norse myth. From DCE’s point of view, it’s not so much they think it’s tricky, they’re just scared. They had a flop with Green Lantern, and the thought with any movie fronted by a woman is, and this is ubiquitous throughout Hollywood, “women can’t front a movie”. Too many times, a TV show or a movie that’s been fronted by women that have failed have been blamed on the women leads, while there’s been a lot of male fronted movies that have failed and the blame was never placed at the feet of the male leads.
nmflemzy
July 30, 2013 at 7:20 am
Strongly disagree about the logo, another example, my grandmother would recognize the Superman logo on it own. Perhaps would the Batman one also. But definitely not the Wonder Woman logo though. Just sayin’
I’ve never even thought about leading woman in Hollywood. Personally I don’t see the problem. Still, I would sooner have a Flash movie.
Tim
July 30, 2013 at 7:37 am
See, and my parents and grandparents would recognize it. And none of them have ever read comics at all. And I know others that would have as well. Wonder Woman’s been around for as long as both Superman and Batman, having her first stories told during the Second World War.
And the problem with Hollywood’s thinking on leading women is that there is a greater chance that a movie featuring a woman in the lead (and one who doesn’t need a love interest) will never happen. Hollywood sees it as a risk. It’s not just female lead properties, it happens with race as well. It took George Lucas ten years to make a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. Lucas himself admitted he got the question “who’s the white lead”. In Hollywood, unless the movie is lead by a white, straight, male, there is a good chance that it will be seen as high risk and often not bankrolled.