There have been multiple Superman movies. There have been dozens of Batman movies. Hell, even Ant Man got his own movie. That’s right. A hero named Ant Man got a movie before Wonder Woman. What’s that say about us as a culture?
We’ve had to ensure some pretty nasty moments to get to this point and I’m not just talking about the poor reviews that Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice got. We’ve had a Catwoman movie that has since become infamous. There has even been an Elektra movie that has since become as forgettable as Ben Affleck’s performance as Daredevil.
There’s no question that the road to this movie has been long and hard, but it’s finally almost here. The Wonder Woman movie is poised to join the world of superhero movies at a time when raccoons and talking trees are finding their way into this genre.
With only a few months left, Warner Brothers released another trailer this past weekend. I would’ve made a big deal of it sooner, but being sick kind of got in the way of that. I’m better now so I’m ready to make a big fucking deal of it now.
Are you done cheering like a school-girl on crack? Good. As a long-time comic book fan, seeing this trailer puts a smile on my face and a boner in my pants. I couldn’t be happier that superhero movies have become the alpha and omega of box office blockbusters. However, I have been somewhat frustrated by the lack of successful female superhero movies.
Wonder Woman can change that. Wonder Woman, being the first and most iconic female hero of the last 70 years, can bring some much-needed balance and sex-appeal to superhero movies. While I doubt the BDSM elements of her history are going to show up in this movie, I’m glad she’s joining the crowded crop of superhero movies that has one too many talking racoon and actors named Chris.
This trailer specifically focuses on Wonder Womans origins. Again, there’s no hint of BDSM, but the core elements are there. There’s Themyscira, her homeland. There’s the Amazons, a society of warrior women blessed by the gods. There’s a weapon that no woman on Themyscira is worthy to wield. Those are all key elements of an awesome Wonder Woman story.
That story will commence this June. Expect me to be among the first in line. Also expect me to write a thorough assessment on this blog, especially if any BDSM moments show up. I imagine they’ll be well-hidden if they do, but at this point, I’ll just gladly accept an awesome Wonder Woman movie that’ll remind the assholes at the UN why she’s one of the most iconic female heroes of all time.
Chief among the superheroes I follow, Wonder Woman naturally has a special place in my heart. I’ve discussed her on multiple occasions, from her secret BDSM origins to the humorless asshats at the UN ditching her for being too sexy. Even non-comic book fans know she’s a big deal in the world of superheroes. Since 1942, she’s been the gold standard by which all other female superheroes are measured.
It’s for that reason that it’s 2017 and it’s only now that we’re finally getting a Wonder Woman solo movie. It’s been such a long time coming. Fans, male and female alike, have been waiting a long time for this. Finally, we’ll get to see the most iconic female superhero of all time star in her own movie. What could possibly give us reservations?
That’s a trick question because Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice happened. That gave many fans more than a few reservations. Sure, nobody argues that Wonder Woman’s role in that movie was the problem, but that movie was supposed to kick-start a new DC movie universe so they could finally compete with Marvel’s obscenely successful movieverse, which is already a dozen movies deep.
DC has a lot of catching up to do to say the least and Wonder Woman is a huge part of that. She could give DC something that Marvel has failed to deliver, namely a major female superhero who is on the same level as the male heroes. Marvel has done a lot of things right, but when it comes to female heroes, they’ve tripped on their collective dicks.
Now in all fairness, Marvel and movie studios in general have a valid reason for being cautious about female superhero movies. Anybody remember Catwoman? If so, I think I speak for everyone, including Halle Berry, that it’s something we’d rather forget.
That movie set female superheros back more than a decade. If any female hero can change that, it’s Wonder Woman. For her, the wait is almost over. Her movie currently has a release date of June 2, 2017 and will be competing with the likes of Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.
That’s right. DC’s most iconic female superhero will have to compete against a whiny teenager and a movie that features a talking racoon. What does that tell you about the state of DC movies compared to Marvel?
However, with the release date closing in and the internet still being as spoilerific as ever, some plot details are starting to emerge. News about all the ways DC and Warner Brothers are shitting themselves trying to catch up to Marvel comes out on a daily basis. With Wonder Woman being so critical to the success of DC and superhero movies in general, there is naturally a lot of attention on this movie.
At this point, test audiences have had a chance to see an early cut of Wonder Woman. Even though DC and Warner Brothers employ the kinds of legal team that Howard Stern probably wishes he had, some of those details have leaked out and they’re not exactly soaking everyone’s panties in the way DC probably hopes.
As I said before, DC has a long way to go to catch up to Marvel. The bar for superhero movies has been set pretty damn high, thanks to movies like The Avengers, and if DC can’t match it, even with their most iconic female hero, then they’ve got problems to say the least.
However, it’s not all gloom and doom on the level of the Fantastic Four. The creative process is messy. I’ve written seven self-published books with varying degrees of mess, sexy and otherwise. I know how frustrating that process can be. I can only imagine how infuriating it must be for a movie on this level.
It’s still hard to gauge how Wonder Woman will pan out. It’s also hard to gauge whether DC is just too far behind Marvel to make up the difference at this point. Right now, the only certainty surrounding this movie is uncertainty.
With that in mind, I found a quick report from the folks at Midnight’s Edge, a great source of inside information on ongoing superhero movies, that paints a fairly balanced picture. Now there are some potential spoilers in this video so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Normally, I don’t say that outside of more intimate moments, but I’ll gladly make an exception for Wonder Woman.
Over the past decade or so, there have been a major glut of superhero movies and for an admitted comic book fan like me, I couldn’t be happier. Every now and then, someone will ask me if I’m getting tired of all these superhero-themed movies. My response usually some form of “Hell no!”
This year has been a damn good year for comic book movies, thanks in large part to the contributions of Deadpool and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It’s still not over with a Dr. Strange movie coming out this month, but that’s basically another movie about a white guy becoming a superhero. As much as I love superhero movies, I do appreciate a little variety.
That’s why 2017 holds a great deal of promise because that’s where Wonder Woman will finally enter the arena that is superhero cinema. Yes, it’s finally happening. The most iconic female superhero of the 20th century, who just happens to have an origin story with not-so-subtle BDSM undertones, is going to get her own movie. I think I speak for generations of comic book fans when I say it’s about damn time.
I already got wondrously giddy when the first trailer came out. That gave us our first taste of a cinematic Wonder Woman, played by real-life female soldier and overall badass, Gal Gadot. She already proved herself in Batman v. Superman. Say what you will about that movie (and believe me, everything that can be said has), but she was the best part of that movie. She alone made that movie worth seeing.
Now, Gal Gadot is ready to take center stage on her own movie. It’s a movie that promises to explore Wonder Woman’s origin, setting her on the path that eventually led to her arrival in Batman v. Superman. It’s an opportunity to show just how awesome Wonder Woman can be and the trailer only reinforces that sentiment.
Seeing this trailer gave me goose bumps in the best possible way. It got me excited in ways I usually reserve for holidays, parties, and strip clubs. It has all the right ingredients. It has Wonder Woman kicking ass, defending the innocent, and standing up for the values of her people. It’s a beautiful thing and she looks damn sexy doing it.
As excited as I am about this trailer, though, I do have concerns that will likely keep me up until people start whining about it on message boards (and they will because people whine about every superhero movies). I can tolerate and ignore whining. That’s one of the most important skills any comic book fan can learn. With Wonder Woman though, the stakes are a little different.
Unlike Batman, Superman, or Deadpool, there are very different stakes for Wonder Woman’s movie. At least with heroes like Superman and Batman, they have a track record. At times, that track record is mixed. Do I need to remind Batman fans of this?
I’ll avoid scrutinizing that pile of shit, but I bring it up because it sends an important message. No matter how far a franchise sinks or how bad it gets, strong characters will bounce back. Wonder Woman is one of the strongest, most iconic characters in the history of superhero comics. She’s reliant. She can endure more than one blows by Joel Shumacher.
However, it’s not the issues with horrible Batman movies that concern me. It isn’t even the acting capabilities of Gal Gadot or her co-star, Chris Pine. Both are quality actors with a solid track record of playing powerful characters in heroic roles. Gal Gadot already got a head start with Batman v. Superman. So what could possibly be so disconcerting.
It can be best summed up in one word: Catwoman. Anybody remember this? If not, consider yourself lucky.
Why do I bring up Catwoman? Why do I dare reference the abomination that even the Oscar-winning talent of Halle Berry couldn’t save? Well, it’s important to mention because the failure of this movie is part of what set back female superhero movies for so long.
There are many who complain about the absence of female leads in superhero movies. Those complaints aren’t without merit. I certainly wouldn’t lump them in with the typical whining that comes with superhero movies. What gets lost in the complaining though is the context and that context doesn’t have as much to do with sexism as radical feminists would have us believe.
As is often the case, it all comes down to that wholly unsexy force: economics. Yes, I can already sense your eyes glazing over. I can sense panties drying up and boners being killed. Bear with me here. There’s a reason for this and it’s a good reason if you want to understand why Wonder Woman’s movie is so important.
Michael Bay movies are among the most reviled by critics, but he gets away with it because movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction make over $1 billion. If Catwoman had made that much money, you can bet that Halle Berry would’ve been in no fewer than three sequels. Hell, Michael Bay may have even directed those movies.
Unfortunately, Catwoman didn’t make that kind of money. As a result, that movie’s failure sent the message that female superhero movies aren’t profitable. They’ll lose a studio money, even if they throw in Oscar-caliber talent. Studios don’t listen to much, but they do listen to money and if a movie doesn’t make money, it may as well be smothered in elephant shit.
This is why Wonder Woman is such an important movie. If it is a success, it’ll prove to Hollywood that strong female heroes can succeed. They can turn a profit. This would be huge, especially for those still pining for a Black Widow movie. Joss Whedon even said he’d return to direct that movie. That raises the stakes for Wonder Woman even more.
If, however, Wonder Woman flops like 2015’s Fantastic Four movie, then that’ll set female superhero movies back even more. That’ll only reinforce the notion that female superheroes can’t hold their own without a strong male lead supporting them. It would be the worst possible message to send to Hollywood, who still control the checkbook.
With that in mind, I eagerly and anxiously await the release of Wonder Woman. She’s entering a golden era of superhero movies. She’s got everything going for her. She got a head start in Batman v. Superman, she’s got a talented actress in Gal Gadot, and she’s got a fanbase who has been hungry for a Wonder Woman movie since Lynda Carter retired.
The stakes literally couldn’t be higher. Gal Gadot, DC Comics, and Wonder Woman have a lot riding on their shoulders. It’s going to take a special kind of female superhero to break through and show the world that women can kick ass. I can think of no one more special than Wonder Woman to make that happen.
Since I’ve been talking about Wonder Woman all week, it’s only fitting that this is the week where the trailer to her first big movie drops. It has been a long time coming. Despite being one of the most iconic female heroes of all time, she has never starred in her own movie. Catwoman got a movie. Elektra got a movie. But not Wonder Woman? It’s an injustice to say the least.
The wait is almost over though. The trailer is here and no, it does not show any signs of Wonder Woman’s BDSM origins. Not that anyone expected it to, but that’s kind of where we are with Wonder Woman right now. The vision of William Marston, her creator, has undergone many shifts and revisions. Right now, DC and superhero movies need a Wonder Woman that plays into the same themes that other movies have in recent years. It may take a long time for those BDSM origins to be revisited in a movie, but it’s a start.
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