Every time we talk about Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel 2 on CinemaBlend, we unofficially refer to it as Batman vs. Superman. Which is accurate, but it leaves out a significant component: When will Wonder Woman get her own movie?
Infamous Amazonian Wonder Woman will be introduced in Snyder’s movie when it reaches theaters on May 6, 2016. It’s unclear at the moment, however, how screenwriters Snyder, David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio (Argo) plan to use Princess Diana of Themyscira in this film.
Will she merely cameo, hinting at the promise of stories to come? Will she be an integral part of the narrative, assisting Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) as they contend with the evil schemes of the already announced Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg)? And what does the future hold for Wonder Woman at Warner Bros.?
Some of those questions can be answered. Others await confirmation. For now, let’s dig into everything we know about Wonder Woman’s cinematic future, as Warner and DC Comics try to get their collective act in gear and keep pace with Marvel’s signature franchise, The Avengers.
1. The Star: Gal Gadot
Now Hollywood's taking another shot at Wonder Woman and our first look at her in movie form will be as part of the Batman vs. Superman cast. We may not know how Zack Snyder will use her in his Man of Steel sequel, but we do know who will be playing her. The director confirmed the casting of Israelian beauty Gal Gadot back in December 2013, stating, "Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character."
Some audiences discovered Gadot already. She played Gisele in the last three Fast & Furious movies, and had parts in Date Night and Knight & Day. But there’s no question Wonder Woman will be the biggest role Gadot has ever attempted. So, how many times will she attempt it?
2. Her Contract
At the time of her signing, Variety confirmed that Gadot had inked a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. that would begin with Zack Snyder’s Batman vs. Superman. The trade said that the next two movies would be a Justice League of America movie, and a standalone Wonder Woman film… though they didn’t say in what order those movies would happen. And honestly, those movies aren’t going to happen if, for some bizarre reason, Snyder’s Man of Steel 2 tanks. It won’t. But at the very least, Warner has Gadot under contract for future movies if and when Batman vs. Superman takes off and leads to future films in this still developing franchise.
If we had to manufacture a guess as to where we’ll see Gal Gadot after Snyder’s movie, I’d lay my money down on…
3. The Justice League of America
Warner Bros. and DC Comics are doing their best to keep pace with rival studio Marvel, but Marvel has SUCH a head start, the competition has been unfair to this point. We actually could have concrete details on a third Avengers movie by the time DC finally gets Batman and Superman on screen in 2016. So it makes sense that DC would want to use Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel 2 to expand the universe and lay the foundation for a Justice League of America movie that would involve Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and other as-yet-to-be-cast actors playing other members of the JLA.
Cyborg was recently added to Batman vs. Superman. And in the Variety story about Gadot’s casting as Wonder Woman, a source told the trade that Flash also would "cameo" in Snyder’s sequel, though that has not been confirmed by anyone at Warner Bros. or DC Comics. The question isn’t "if" when it comes to a Justice League of America. The question is "when?"
Gadot’s deal includes participation in a Justice League of America movie. IMDB claims it’s down for 2017. But unless Snyder shoots footage for that film WHILE he’s doing Batman vs. Superman, the earliest I could possibly see JLA getting into theaters is 2018. That’s four years away, when the 28-year-old Gal Gadot will be approaching 32. Not too old to toss a golden lasso, mind you. It’s just a long time to commit to a franchise that isn’t exactly pumping out installments.
We might be getting way ahead of ourselves, thinking about Wonder Woman’s involvement in a possible Justice League of America movie. Let’s refocus our attentions on the character, and how she will be portrayed on screen wherever she happens to show up.
4. Wonder Woman’s Costume
Zack Snyder, in a recent interview with Forbes Magazine, talked about the success he had in delivering a grounded, more realistic version of Superman in -- one that was closer in tone to the comic books than Richard Donner’s beloved Superman. And that approach might work when Snyder tackles Batman. But how hoes one make a grounded, realistic Wonder Woman? The character is a goddess, formed from clay (in most iterations) by the Queens of the Amazon. It will be interesting to see how her origin is approached by Snyder and his team.
Also, what type of costume will she wear? At the beginning of this year, Latino Review’s elmayimbe noted on Twitter that Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume "will consist of ARMOR. Not the Lynda Carter itty bitty outfit." Which gels with the looks of General Zod (Michael Shannon), Faora-Ul (Antje Traue), and the villains of Man of Steel. Maybe if we had a good look at Ben Affleck’s Bat suit from Batman vs. Superman, we could be clued in to the possible design of Wonder Woman’s costume. But a lot can change between now and 2016. And a lot will need to be answered. Will there be an invisible jet? A lasso that makes enemies tell the truth? All of these components are very important to the character. Because Hollywood has gone down this road once or twice before.
5. Wonder Woman's Failed TV Efforts
Long before Wonder Woman was supposed to appear on the big screen, network executives at various companies tried to figure out a way to bring the mighty hero to television sets across the country. And for assorted reasons, the plans never got off the ground. The most recent example, Amazon, was going to be a Smallville-esque origin story for Diana of Themyscira. Given the success of Arrow and the potential in the television program Flash, it was believed that Wonder Woman could make her debut on TV. Then, in January, the production hit the wall.
Long before that, NBC tried to mount a Wonder Woman series with G.I. Joe and Friday Night Lights hottie Adrianne Palicki in the lead. They even shot a pilot for the show, backed by TV guru David E. Kelley (The Practice). Alas, it was not to be. The pilot is a bit of a "Holy Grail" of television, as NBC has kept it under wraps. But you can see some footage of the failed episode on YouTube.
6. Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman Movie
Hollywood has been trying to get a Wonder Woman movie off the ground for years. The last attempt was back in 2005, with Avengers 2 director Joss Whedon pitching the idea. This was long before he’d eventually become the Geek Icon behind Marvel’s beloved Avengers franchise. At the time, Whedon was best known for the strong female personalities driving television programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And he was signed to write and direct a Wonder Woman movie for producer Joel Silver. "She's someone who doesn't belong in this world, and since everyone I know feels that way about themselves, the character clicked for me," Whedon was quoted as saying.
The project bounced around in various stages of pre-production for years – with starlets like Jessica Biel, Katie Holmes, Megan Fox, Charisma Carpenter and Eliza Dushku circling the role.
Obviously, it never happened, but Whedon speaks fondly of his screenplay… often. Imagine how different the current comic universe would be if Whedon got DC off the ground first?
Along those lines, Batman scribe David Goyer almost got his own Wonder Woman movie off the ground in 2010, but that, too, stumbled. Drive director Nicholas Winding Refn talked about wanting to do a Wonder Woman movie with Mad Men beauty Christina Hendricks – to no avail. And Bridesmaids brain Paul Feig pitched a Wonder Woman movie to Warner Bros. once.
Why is Wonder Woman such a tough nut to crack? Let’s look at her history and find out.
7. Wonder Woman’s Hollywood History
If Gal Gadot wants to comb Hollywood’s archives while researching how to best play Wonder Woman, she’ll have options… though not all of them are great. Wonder Woman’s most popular iteration has to belong to Lynda Carter, who played the DC Comics hero on TV from 1975-79 in a hit program that aired on both ABC (for its first season) and CBS (for the next two seasons). But did you know that prior to Carter, Wonder Woman was played by Cathy Lee Crosby of That’s Incredible! fame in an ill-fated, live-action 1974 TV film?
The character has had a LOT more success in animated form. The longest-running DC Comics program was the animated Super Friends, which ran from 1973-86 and prominently featured Wonder Woman (voiced by Shannon Farnon and Connie Caulfield) as a founding member of the group. She also has appeared on various episodes of DC Comics-based programs like Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice and in a brief run on South Park in 2007. Earlier this year, Cobie Smulders voiced Wonder Woman in The LEGO Movie.
Of course, Wonder Woman’s history in DC Comics’ books dates back to 1941, when she appeared in All Star Comics and later received her own title. While Hollywood has always tried to figure out a way to transition Wonder Woman to the big screen, Zack Snyder seems to be on the right path – and the fastest track – to making Wonder Woman a hit character.
SEE ALSO: Another Justice League Superhero Will Appear In The ‘Batman / Superman’ Movie
