Warning: spoilers ahead for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman! Don't read any further if you want to avoid plot details about the upcoming DC movie!
We've seen Superman (Henry Cavill) learn to fly, and we've seen Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) return to the cape and cowl, so now it's time to see the origin story of Gal Gadot's Diana Prince. Ahead of the November release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman will debut this summer and give us the first ever glimpse of Diana of Themyscira's adventures with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) in WWI. Every single trailer for the Amazon's first solo movie has exponentially increased our anticipation, and we seriously cannot wait to see what this film has in store.
Luckily, Warner Bros. showed off some Wonder Woman footage at WonderCon 2017 in Anaheim, California, and CinemaBlend was there to see it. Two distinct sequences were shown to the audience, and while we obviously couldn't record anything we saw, we can now sit down and analyze everything that was shown. One thing is clear: this silver screen version of Wonder Woman is unquestionably the best fighter on the Justice League. We have a ton of footage to analyze, so let's get started with the London fight scene that has been a major focal point for all of the trailers so far.
The London Fight
The first action sequence shown to the crowd at WonderCon was a more intimate battle scene. It opens with Steve Trevor and Diana Prince walking through Trafalgar Square in London circa the 1910's. Diana looks around at the alien world that surrounds her, while Trevor apparently suspects that they are being followed. He pulls her into an alleyway, where a squad of German spies wielding guns confronts them. Trevor tries to protect Diana, but she leaps into action as he's about to be executed -- leading to a great homage to the Christopher Reeve Superman era.
That's when the sequence kicks into high gear. Diana uses her gauntlets to deflect gunshots from several different angles, and takes out each of the spies in rapid succession. Much of this sequence is shown from an overhead perspective, which really hammers home the idea of just how fast Diana is. She takes down the bad guys with relative ease, while Trevor lets her handle the situation -- clearly understanding that she can take care of herself. The sequence ends with one of the spies trying to escape from the alleyway, only to find himself cornered by Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) hilariously wielding Diana's God Killer sword. Wonder Woman ties him up with her lasso as she prepares to interrogate him, and the screen cuts to black.
Between the two sequences shown to audiences at WonderCon, this first one is the one that was played for laughs, and it showcased some incredible character moments. The dynamic between Steve Trevor and Diana Prince works well, as his swashbuckling Indiana Jones-esque personality (thanks to Chris Pine's endless charisma) is a perfect counterpoint to her wide-eyed optimism and brute strength. There's a strong sense of partnership that isn't entirely predicated on the fact that they will eventually hook up towards the end of the movie, and that goes a long way towards giving them both a strong sense of independence.
Another thing that's worth noting about this sequence is how different it is from the competition's depiction of the past. While Captain America: The First Avenger presented audiences with a very Golden Age version of WWII; Wonder Woman's WWI-era London is incredibly dark and gritty. The color palette is a bit muted (because DC), but it definitely helps convey the drab, fearful atmosphere of that time period. Juxtaposed against the wonderfully vibrant world of Themyscira, and it's clear that this is the world in which Diana will lose her innocence.
Of course, that was only one of the sequences shown. Click to the next page for a description of one of Wonder Woman's more intense battle sequences.
The Battle
The second sequence shown to the WonderCon audience was an even more intense battle scene in which saw Diana, Steve Trevor, and the rest of Trevor's squad (all of whom you can see in the old photo of Diana in Batman v Superman) running into a village. In the sequence, Diana appeared horrified by the carnage of war as German soldiers shelled the small town, and took it upon herself to run into the battle with little regard for her own safety -- which was played for humor between Trevor and his men. Patty Jenkins prefaced the clip by explaining that this sequence is Diana's first real battle as a warrior, and it didn't disappoint.
This particular battle opens with a tracking shot that sees Wonder Woman using her immense speed to cover an insane amount of ground incredibly quickly. She deflects bullets and dodges shrapnel, until a blast sends her hurtling into the side of a building. Using her newfound high ground, she repositions herself and jumps into the window of another nearby building, where she subsequently finds herself cornered by a squad of Germans soldiers. Taking a quick moment to assess the situation, Diana leaps into action, and we are treated to an absolutely breathtaking fight in which Diana skillfully and acrobatically dispatches soldier after soldier before jumping out of another window and reuniting with Trevor's men.
It's worth mentioning that this melee isn't nearly as brutal as Batman v Superman's warehouse fight sequence, but it's also not supposed to be. Wonder Woman takes this scene to showcase Diana's speed, agility, and (oddly enough) her mercy. Diana uses her sword purely for defense in this skirmish, and while she definitely hurts every solder that she takes down, it's clear that her goal is to get passed them more than it is to cripple them. This not only serves to show how much lighter and more hopeful Diana is compared to the other DC heroes that we have seen so far; it also allows the sequence to keep a strong sense of forward momentum as she tries to get out of the building.
The stylistic choices in this fight scene won't be for everyone. Slow motion is used quite a bit, but I personally found it necessary to convey Diana's sheer speed and agility. Beyond that, while the sequence isn't quite as bone breaking and brutal as other fights that we have seen in the DCEU so far, it does a great job of setting up exactly what this iconic hero is capable of.
All in all, I think it's safe to say that the Wonder Woman footage shown at WonderCon has us incredibly excited. Gal Gadot seriously owns the role of Diana Prince, and we cannot wait to see the movie in its entirety. Wonder Woman will hit theaters later this year on June 2, 2017; stay tuned for more details!
