After the DC Extended Universe started off on a controversial foot with Man of Steel, the franchise tumbled into a black hole with Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad. Just when DC Comics fans worried that their favorite characters would never get a worthy film adaptation, a beacon of hope arrived in the form of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman.
Gal Gadot became a superstar overnight following her acclaimed turn as the Amazonian warrior, while the way that Jenkins embraced cheesiness made her movie an earnest counterpoint to the MCU’s bathos.
Michelle MacLaren Was Originally Set To Direct The Movie
Initially, Michelle MacLaren was hired to direct Wonder Woman. MacLaren is best known as a TV director, having helmed episodes of such classics as Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones.
However, MacLaren ended up dropping out of the project due to creative differences with the studio. Before Patty Jenkins was chosen to replace her, Kathryn Bigelow and Catherine Hardwicke were considered.
Liam Hemsworth Was Considered To Play Steve Trevor
Before Chris Pine was cast as Wonder Woman’s male lead role, Steve Trevor, the producers considered Liam Hemsworth, Sam Worthington, and Alexander Skarsgård for the part.
And before Connie Nielsen was chosen to play Queen Hippolyta, the producers considered Nicole Kidman, who went on to play a different DCEU fantasy world’s queen in Aquaman, and Charlize Theron for the part.
Warner Bros. Tried To Cut The No Man’s Land Sequence
When Wonder Woman was in the middle of production, Warner Bros. executives got cold feet about the No Man’s Land sequence and tried to cut it. Patty Jenkins loved the scene, fought to keep it in, and managed to shoot it to prove how awesome it would be.
The scene went on to become the centerpiece of the movie’s marketing campaign, and one of the most memorable moments in the entire DCEU.
Lynda Carter And Lyle Waggoner Turned Down Cameos In The Movie
The producers of Wonder Woman offered cameo appearances to Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner, who starred in the ‘70s Wonder Woman TV series as Diana Prince and Steve Trevor, respectively.
However, both actors turned down the cameos, as they were committed to other projects that kept them busy at the time they were expected to shoot their roles.
Joss Whedon Previously Developed An Ultimately Unproduced Wonder Woman Movie
Joss Whedon developed a Wonder Woman movie in the 2000s and even wrote a script for it, but it was never produced. The script leaked online and has been torn apart for its sexist take on Diana Prince.
Whedon stands by what he wrote, while admitting that it’s inappropriate, but from its lengthy descriptions of Diana’s “curvaceous” body to a scene in which she does a sexy dance to get a god’s attention, it’s hardly a work of feminist writing.
Gal Gadot Was Pregnant During The Reshoots
Gal Gadot was pregnant with her second child by the time Wonder Woman went into reshoots. The exact scenes in which her pregnancy had to be hidden haven’t been specified.
However, it has been reported that Gadot continued to do most of her own stunts in the reshoots, despite being pregnant.
Wonder Woman Was Banned In Lebanon Because Gal Gadot Is From Israel
Wonder Woman was banned in Lebanon, because Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war for years and Gal Gadot is Israeli and used to fight in the Israeli military. Tunisia and Qatar banned the movie for the same reason.
The official explanation for these bans is that Gadot has expressed positive opinions about Israel and its government, as well as negative opinions about the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
This Was The First $100 Million+ Live-Action Movie By A Female Director
Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is the first ever live-action movie by a female director with a budget of over $100 million. The budget is reported to be $150 million.
It was also the first female-led superhero movie in 12 years, the last being 2005’s Elektra, which was so bad that it scared studios off of giving a female superhero their own movie for more than a decade.
Gal Gadot Trained For Nine Months
Gal Gadot trained for nine months ahead of Wonder Woman’s production. Throughout her training, the actor packed on 17 lbs of solid muscle.
However, it’s been debated whether this actually shows in the final product, as some fans said that Gadot looked too skinny to play Diana.
Patty Jenkins Initially Objected To Gal Gadot’s Casting
Since Wonder Woman made her DCEU debut in Batman v Superman, Zack Snyder was the one who got to cast the role, and he’s famous for outside-the-box casting. When Patty Jenkins was hired to direct Wonder Woman, she wasn’t totally pleased with Gadot’s casting, dismissing her as just a model.
However, when she saw Gadot’s first major action scene in BvS, it immediately became apparent to Jenkins that she had the passion and ferocity to pull off the character and was the perfect casting.