There's no getting around it: DC pretty much killed it this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. Between film and television, walked away with so much information that has us so excited about the future of DC lore adaptations. However, the one project that arguably emerged as the most exciting of the bunch is Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. Everything we've seen from The Amazon's upcoming solo adventure seems to promise action, beauty, and heart all in equal measure.
As soon as the trailer dropped for the Gal Gadot fronted female-driven superhero movie, all of our potential apprehensions about the project faded almost immediately. That being said, there still exists certain things that Wonder Woman needs to make sure it does in order to achieve the greatness we know that it's destined for. We've compiled a list of the six things Wonder Woman needs to accomplish when it hits theaters on June 2, 2017. Now let's get the ball rolling with No.1...
Firmly Establish The Mystic Side Of The DCEU
If there's one distinct way that DC has beaten Marvel Studios to the punch when it comes to silver screen adventures, it has to be in the use of magic. While Marvel has spent the better part of a decade building towards the establishment of mysticism in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC has an opportunity to get out of the gate running by hinting at magical forces in Suicide Squad, and properly exploring them in Wonder Woman. A faithful depiction of Diana Prince and her home world of Themyscira needs to fully embrace the concept of magic, and plainly let the audience know that ideas far beyond the realm of scientific understanding exist within the DCEU.
Show That Wonder Woman Is The DC Universe's Best Fighter
Comic book legend Geoff Johns said it himself during the DC Showcase in March: Diana Prince is the best fighter in the DC Universe. With Wonder Woman going to war in her upcoming solo movie, her solo movie needs to show audiences that she's as much of a ferocious warrior as she is a beautiful princess. She doesn't have heat vision, or super speed, or an arsenal of lasers built into her body; she has her strength, and her skill. Her battle sequences should focus less on complex visual effects, and spend more time emphasizing the fact the she could take down anyone in a mano-a-mano tussle -- even Ben Affleck's Batman.
Sell The Grim Violence Of WWI
As a society we do not look back on WWI with the same gilded nostalgia that we apply to WWII. A soft, old-fashioned period piece worked well for Captain America: The First Avenger over at Marvel, but Wonder Woman's involvement in WWI needs to be an entirely different beast altogether. This is one of the bloodiest, grittiest, and most tragic wars in human history, and Wonder Woman needs to sell us on the fact that Diana's experiences fighting in this conflict dealt a massive blow to her outlook on humanity. We want to see less of the Golden Age of comics depicted in Wonder Woman, and more All Quiet On The Western Front.
Be A Feminist Movie
Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot have a serious task ahead of them because they're essentially creating the first female-driven superhero movie of the modern era. With that in mind, Wonder Woman needs to go all out and embrace its status as a feminist movie. Diana needs to come across as assertive, dominant, and powerful while still maintaining a distinct sense of femininity that sets her apart from her male companions. However, the movie needs to also make sure that its pro-female agenda feels properly incorporated into the story; minor asides involving Diana comparing the life of a secretary will make for some great laughs in the theater, but her actions and motivations directly related to the plot also need to reflect this mentality.
But Make Steve Trevor's Contributions Matter
All that being said, Wonder Woman needs to empower Diana Prince as a woman while balancing the contributions of characters like Chris Pine's Steve Trevor. Feminism is about equality, not preferential treatment, and as such these two characters need to stand toe to toe on equal footing throughout the course of the narrative. Their relationship needs to feel like a partnership, with each of them giving and taking something that the other cannot provide. Trevor is his own character with a wide following in DC lore and his own specific strengths that make him a perfect match for Diana; the movie should explore these ideas without making him a bumbling baffoon or a domineering mansplainer.
Act As A Stepping Stone To Justice League
Wonder Woman is the last solo movie to hit theaters before the DCEU goes all out with Justice League in November 2017. This means that all of the pieces need to be in place before Zack Snyder's team-up film hits theaters. DC has taken much less time to establish its cinematic universe before diving headfirst into the big ensemble film, and considering the fact that Suicide Squad looks pretty insulated in terms of narrative, all eyes are seemingly on Wonder Woman to make sure that audiences get caught up to speed before DC's legendary superhero team assembles on the silver screen for the very first time. There's arguably nothing more important for Wonder Woman than getting this one right.
