Wonder Woman will officially turn 70 years old this coming December. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (October 25, 1941).
We almost came close to seeing Wonder Woman again on TV before NBC decided our gal didn't fit their TV line-up.
A Wonder Woman movie is a "no-go."
So, here we are 70 years later after the first Wonder Woman comic book debuted, more than 30 years after the series starring Lynda Carter debuted and still no Wonder Woman on TV or on the big screen.
In addition, controversy continues to surround Wonder Woman in the newly relaunched DC comics. There are more stories for male DC heroes than Wonder Woman and Supergirl in the DC relaunch (even though DC recently promised to hire more female writers). Not to mention, the continuing costume controversy. Does she wear the bikini bottom or the much-hated shorts in the reboot? I've seen promos with both.
What about her story? Last time I read, her debut will include fighting zombies or something. [rolls eyes]. And she has a daddy now, philandering Zeus himself.
It doesn't sound promising for our gal.
Yet, I'm still hopeful that Wonder Woman will get the screen treatment that she deserves someday. But it doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon.
Case in point: movies.
What's the biggest DC movie that fans are excited to see next year? It doesn't star Wonder Woman. It's another Superman reboot. After the 'Man of Steel' debuts, we get another Spiderman movie the following year and The Avengers sequel sometime afterward.
While I'm excited for the Man of Steel upcoming reboot, it hurts that Hollywood continues to cater to the male audience, making their leads male rather than female.
Hollywood female superheroes are risky because of recent flops at the box office (Catwoman starring Hallie Berry).
But that was a case of getting the wrong actress who clearly didn't understand her role and bad writers. I don't know what it is about writers who think, because the story is based on a comic book, it gives them license to be as cheesy as they want.
The Wonder Woman pilot could have been a great pilot. The original script for it showed Diana on Themyscira but for whatever reason, her origin story was not included in the final script. Wonder Woman doesn't have to be cheesy.
I understand getting Wonder Woman right can be tricky. But her original story is pretty basic:
Centuries ago, the Amazons, a proud and fierce race of warrior women, led by Queen Hippolyta, battled Ares, the God of War, and his army. During the battle, Hippolyta beheaded her son, Thrax, whom Ares forcibly conceived with her, and then defeated the God of War himself. Zeus, however, prevented her from killing Ares. Instead, Hera bound her powers with magic bracelets so that he was deprived of his ability to draw power from the aura of violence and death he could instigate, and only another god could release him. In compensation, the Amazons were granted the island of Themyscira, where they could be eternally youthful and isolated from Man in the course of their duty of holding Ares prisoner for all eternity. Later, Hippolyta was granted a daughter, Princess Diana, whom she shaped from the sand of the sea shore and gave life with her own blood.
That was the premise of the 2009 animated movie, which is quite good. The material is there for an excellent origin story. There's no reason I can think of, why the 2009 movie couldn't have been live action. With the technology we have today, CGI and blue screens, a live action Wonder Woman movie ISN'T impossible.
Lynda Carter has said over countless interviews, it's a story that needs to be re-told but done in a way that is respectful to the character.
How to make a successful Wonder Woman story for TV or movie? I talked briefly about some tips on how to re-tool Wonder Woman for a modern audience.
