Wonder Woman is one of the most anticipated comic book movies of 2017, and for good reason. Gal Gadot as the title character was one of the biggest breakout performances of 2016 after her scene-stealing turn in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. As Amazonian Diana Prince and, eventually, the titular heroine, Gadot is expected to discover more of the darker sides of the world - and the people inhabiting it.
According to Wonder Woman and Justice League producer Zack Snyder, Wonder Woman will be a distinctly different character between the beginning of her arc in her highly anticipated solo movie and her appearance in Justice League. Her evolution will be key to the growing D.C. Extended Universe, which is betting big on her development between the two movies.
Snyder spoke to USA Today on Wonder Woman and Justice League as part of a preview of 2017’s most anticipated movies. He touched briefly upon the Justice League roster, but the main focus was on Gadot and her much-anticipated starring role in Wonder Woman , that will lead into Justice League . Snyder, who is directing Justice League but ceded duties to Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman, says that Gadot’s character discovers in the World War I-set origin story that “humanity isn’t always the most kind and awesome thing.”
On Wonder Woman’s perception of humanity through her evolution toward Justice League, Snyder added:
“[Humanity] has its moments, but it can be brutal, and her coming to terms with that dichotomy is what we come to learn about her. And in Justice League, she’s fully evolved into someone who’s embraced mankind, partly through Superman’s sacrifice. She’s like, ‘All right, I’ve got to pick it up.’”
Clearly, Diana Prince’s evolution will begin with a more idealistic, optimistic view of the world before experiencing its darker sides, growing and changing dramatically as a result. It won’t be hard for her to witness death, destruction, and heartbreak amid World War I, one of the bloodiest conflicts in recorded history. It’s unclear how evolved as a character she will be by the end of Wonder Woman as compared to the fully-formed character in Justice League, but it’s certainly intriguing to know that such a development will take place.
It is a good sign for the Wonder Woman movie that the title character will explore complicated themes and have complex added layers in her origin story, but it could also run the risk of trying to do too much. Over-plotting and an overwhelming sense of dread were, arguably, the aspects of Batman v Superman that bogged the movie down. Hopefully, Gadot’s performance will carry the solo film and overcome any potential problems with the plot. If Wonder Woman is different enough from Batman v. Superman in that regard, it has the potential to be one of the DCEU’s strongest entries.
Source: USA Today [via ComicBook.com]
