Gal Gadot has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial third act of Wonder Woman, which originally had a different, less action-packed ending. Wonder Woman's director, Patty Jenkins, has previously addressed the changes to the ending, saying that Warner Bros. had her make changes at the last minute. Additionally, the tonal shift in the depiction of the character in Wonder Woman 1984 is clear evidence of the direction Jenkins wanted to take.
The DCEU iteration of the iconic comic-book superhero has skyrocketed her popularity, with a Wonder Woman centric video game in the works and a third solo outing for the character currently in development at Warner Bros. Wonder Woman 1984 received a tepid response from audiences and critics alike, a far departure from the near-universal acclaim that the first Wonder Woman received. However, the third act was a sticking point for many fans, with people believing it to be overly VFX-heavy and bogging down the realism of the first two-thirds. Jenkins speaking about having to change the ending of the film in order to add more action only fueled controversy among fans.
The shared photo, which Gadot posted to her Instagram account, includes Gadot watching a cut of the scene with the caption, "So much drama…" This seems to acknowledge the backlash many fans had to Wonder Woman's ending. Gadot didn't specify in her post whether the photo was taken during production of the first Wonder Woman, but that is most likely given the nature of the post. Check it out below:
Click here to view the post on Instagram
It's true that Wonder Woman's third act has a more typical superhero-film feel than the rest of the movie, which is very grounded and old-fashioned. But the third act emphasized Diana's strongest points as a character: her compassion, strength, and willingness to face evil in situations where she is needed. And these scenes track with the rest of the DCEU. Because Wonder Woman's portrayal as a tough, no-nonsense warrior was so well received with her appearances in Zack Snyder's films, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, it only makes sense that Warner Bros. would continue to profit off of the franchise's success. After all, Gadot is the only actor in the DCEU to receive three solo films thus far.
Gadot's photo showcases the ending for what it was: an exploration of the humanity of Wonder Woman and her full range of emotions. Despite the backlash, the controversy merely points to the desire many have to see Wonder Woman handled correctly. Simply put, the third act of the 2017 film, however controversial, displays that beautifully. Wonder Woman 3, which Gadot recently said could start filming soon, will get the chance to continue the DCEU's trend of a powerful and balanced display of who Wonder Woman is.
Source: Gal Gadot
