Wonder Woman Will Fly Again

ALERT: We have Wonder Woman! I repeat, we finally have Wonder Woman!

Let’s talk about how much of a big deal this is. Wonder Woman first debuted in 1941 in All Star Comics #8. She was the brainchild of William Moulton Marston and Elizabeth Holloway Marston. The two psychologists wanted to create a superhero who used love AND brawn to fight the bad guys. Elizabeth brilliantly insisted that this superhero be a superheroine, making our girl Wonder Woman the very first female superhero. She got her own comic series in 1942. 

Since then, Wonder Woman has appeared in almost every form of media…except film. Until now, Diana Prince has never showed up in our cinemas. This has developed into a point of contention for many (me included) considering that almost every other super-successful superhero has graced the big screen (some have even appeared too many times…I’m looking at you, Superman). All of these superheroes are male. We have yet to see any female superhero have their own stand-alone film or franchise. Until now. 

Gal Gadot was just announced as Wonder Woman in Zach Snyder’s Batman vs. Superman film, the next feature in Warner Brothers and DC Comic’s Superman re-boot. At long, long last, our Wonder Woman is here….only to be put in a supporting role. It’s certainly a slight setback for many Wonder Woman fans, but it’s not altogether surprising. So here’s where I stand on this matter right now: 

1. WONDER WOMAN IS GOING TO BE IN A FILM….endless excitement
2. Frustration because she’s secondary to the boys club (they have yet to call it Batman vs. Superman vs. Wonder Woman, for a whole host of obvious reasons)
3. Trying patience because she might have a larger role than expected
4. More excitement because Wonder Woman is going to be in what will likely be a major success
5. Even MORE excitement because this could ultimately garner Diana Prince and Gal Gadot her own film (if they are attempting to rival Marvel’s cinematic universe plan)

Yes, Wonder Woman has mostly been written by men, and yes, she has had a difficult history heavily steeped in sexism and very little clothing, but she’s evolved. At this point, she is the strongest woman in the universe and an inspiring feminist and I’m excited to see what Warner Brother’s vision is for this. Despite some uneasiness, I’m going to choose to look at Gal Gadot’s casting and Wonder Woman’s inclusion as an empowering step in the right direction. I have never seen any of Gal Gadot’s work (which mostly includes the Fast and the Furious series) but I am excited for her. It’s the role of a lifetime, and I would like to support her rather than tear her down (as other bloggers have quickly done). So, bring on filming! This film has some problems to work out, but I’m so thrilled to see them moving forward. 

Superman vs. Batman: The Great Warner Bros/DC Comics Conundrum

If you were on Twitter on August 22nd, you probably saw the first few posts from Entertainment Weekly and Variety and the like announcing that Ben Affleck had been cast as Batman in Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel. If this assumption is true (that you were on Twitter, keeping up with the latest tweets), then you probably saw the immediate (literally immediate – it was so instantaneous it seemed like the whole world was in on it and just hovering their finger over the ‘send’ key until it was announced) response and backlash. It was intense and seemed to obscure pretty much everything else. 

Since the announcement, a lot has been discussed on the topic, but I would like to add my two-sense simply because there’s a few points that I don’t feel have been adequately addressed. Whether Affleck will be a good Batman or not is essentially a moot point. What we must ask instead is why on earth does Affleck even have the chance to play Batman? Because Christian Bale was only signed on for three films with Christopher Nolan. Since both are out of the equation, DC and Warner Bros had to do some quick casting. This, my friends, is the problem. Warner Brothers are playing with the Marvel/Disney equation but they are already too far behind the starting line. Marvel had a vision for their film series – not a single film was produced that did not fit within their multi-phase, epic Superhero adventure. DC/Warner Bros. planned out the Batman series but is now trying to pick up the pieces to fit into a semblance of Marvel’s incredible structure. Though we’ve had multiple indicators all along suggesting their disorganization, this casting is like fitting a puzzle piece from a puppy puzzle set into a Van Gogh puzzle. It will never work both on the surface and internally. 

So the problem then arises: how do DC and Warner Bros. start over? By having to cast another actor as Batman, they are essentially admitting (on some level) their failure. It silently shares that their series concept was not as well-planned as their competitor and that to stay afloat they must re-brand with a new vision. This is not bad, and on some level, it is actually redemptive. Like in their comics, Batman and Superman get to try again. The issue lies further in our emotional appreciation of Batman’s narrative. It seems to be an almost universal truth that we will miss Christian Bale as Batman and Christopher Nolan as his director. The two created a Batman that reflected our times and our worries, giving us a fictional dark hero that provided an honest and strangely real level of support and protection. Warner Brothers claims that Affleck’s Batman will be “an entirely new incarnation of the character,” but Bale’s version still feels too fresh and too present in our collective cultural imagination. 

Superman and Batman are essentially the comic equivalent of Bonnie and Clyde, but DC and Warner Brothers needed to better evaluate the emotional ties to the Dark Knight Trilogy and perhaps waited on putting this famous duo back together on the big screen. I truly believe there is a time and place to explore their heroic stories but I don’t think it’s now. Snyder could have helped expand the DC Universe by bringing around a few characters we haven’t seen in a while. Where’s Wonder Woman (I think I ask this everyday)? Where’s Aquaman? Where’s Green Lantern (please, please, please do not say Ryan Reynolds)? Batman was not the answer. We do desperately need a re-imagined Superman that provides some sense of a hero in our 2013 psyche. And while Man of Steel delivered on very few aspects of this need, his ability’s don’t speak for the needs of our generation. He needs Batman to succeed today, but we’ve already committed ourselves to a different version of Batman. 

So what do we need to see a Superman and Batman film that satisfies all viewers? We need Snyder to re-boot his own series (yes, even after just one film). Man of Steel, though visually stunning, hit very few notes. It lacked an enduring and interesting storyline and saw Superman break his only rule, developing a new Superman that few were actually on board with. We need this Superman to find greater responsibility for the sake of his city and his people. We need him to find his partner in Batman not necessarily because they have similar skills but because they have similar goals. Snyder, DC, and Warner Brothers have an incredible task to deliver that could follow a myriad of different directions. The only way they can succeed is if they stay true to who these characters are and look to re-brand not with the intention of shock value and big box office but with characters that fans know and love. 

Empowered or Sexy: The Superheroine Costume Complex

I remember when I first saw Wonder Woman. I was probably five or six and I thought to myself, “Wow, I’ve never seen a woman like that.” I wasn’t talking about her superpowers and strength. I was talking about her body. Wonder Woman was ripped, muscles streaming with no wind or movement; despite being an Amazonian, she was still a head shorter than Superman and all other men. Her boobs were enormous, her butt equally as robust and detailed. This was noticeable and meant to gain attention due to her costume, or rather lack thereof. I remember thinking “where’s her clothes?” Even at a young age, I couldn’t understand why she was dressed in such a way to fight crime. 

Even years later, I still ask myself “where’s her clothes?” Let’s break this down:

Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Elektra, etc are all involved in rigorous and dangerous fighting. This outfit is just not sensible for such behavior! Ironman, Batman, Thor, etc are covered from head-to-toe for ultimate body protection The women’s barely-there costumes suggest a level of stupidity, a lack of concern for one’s own safety. It’s like Selina Kyle prefers sexiness to survival. It also suggests that woman cannot and are not meant to fight the way that the Marvel men do. Ms. Marvel’s uniform suggests that she does not fight the same way Captain America does and thus does not need the appropriate costume. 

But, of course, what this boils down to is the men that create these characters. They are MALE comic artists who look to gain more male audiences rather than developing a valued and honest female character. Superman/Clark and Batman/Bruce not only get to save the world in their flashy, fully-covered best, they also get to be incredibly complex people who’s appearance is based on their established, dimensional persona. The Wonder Woman we read on the pages would never wear something so impractical. But that doesn’t matter when she’s meant to be hot and sexy rather than an effective, strong, and empowered fighter. 

This leads to my real point: artist Michael Lee Lunsford recently drew some of the world’s favorite comic heroines in appropriate attire. The results:

Wonder Woman:

Supergirl:

 

Elektra:

These are beautiful costumes fit for any superheroine. Why don’t we see this in comic books and now the film adaptations? Why don’t we press for this? There are so many WOMEN reading comic books – why don’t we demand to see real, incredible women dressed for more than just the male gaze? Ladies, let’s be real: these male artists are going to continue to publish these sexist costumes until we demand otherwise. How do we do this? We don’t purchase their comics, we don’t provide hits on their website, we abandon the universe until they get the message. 

That, or we can be outright about what we want: I want Wonder Woman to be dressed appropriately for the sort of battle she’s going into. I want Elektra and Black Widow and Ms. Marvel and everyone else to look prepared for the strength and fight they’re capable of. Is that really so much to ask?