Any good superhero worth their salt has a purpose, a goal, or an inspiration that pushes them to become the figure for justice they strive to become. Wonder Woman is certainly no exception, and her drives to fight crime are centered around one pillar of strength: morality. Nowhere is that more apparent than in director Patty Jenkins' recent remarks about the character, which lay out a particular path for the Amazonian princess's development from eager hero into world weary warrior.
Jenkins had the opportunity to speak with Empire recently, and in addition to discussing why World War I was the proper setting for Wonder Woman's debut solo journey, the Monster director provided the key ingredients to the character's throughline in her early 20th century adventures. As follows are Patty Jenkins' remarks on just where Diana of Thymyscira is heading in her life:
What motivates her is philosophical. She isn't just taking out bad guys or fighting crime. She believes in goodness and love. [She] is fierce and willing to fight, but only to protect a better vision for mankind. Hers is really a coming-of-age story.
Getting a chance to see Wonder Woman as a prequel of both events and ideologies in Diana's character development is as exciting as the fact that World War I will be serving as the backdrop for such action. By the time we catch up with Gal Gadot's superpowered Amazonian in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, we learn that she's turned her back on humanity for some time. Only in the desperate hour of Batman and Superman's fight against Doomsday does she see the courage and the strength to rescue both heroes, thus helping to eventually form the Justice League we'll be seeing in theaters next November. So, obviously, seeing Diana in her younger, more cavalier days is a treat, and a necessity.
Hearing Patty Jenkins talk about Wonder Woman in the terms that she has is refreshing, especially considering the pall that both the DC Comics films and this film in particular have labored under. With the whispers of the Gal Gadot led film being just as poor in quality as Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman have been labeled as being, the bright spot that was the first official trailer for the film has helped quell those fears to a certain extent. While these remarks help carry us a little closer to the home stretch, our optimism will still be extremely cautious.
Wonder Woman fights for humanity and Amazonians in equal measure on June 2, 2017.
