It’s no secret that the DC Extended Universe of films is a work in progress. The evolution of these films seems a matter of trial and error and while some films set up future installments, that doesn’t always go smoothly and one major snag seems to be Wonder Woman‘s role in ‘Batman V Superman’ which contrasts with the finale of her own solo movie this past summer. ‘Wonder Woman’ ended with Diana (Gal Gadot) standing up for humanity against Ares who attempted to sway her to his belief that humanity needed to be wiped out in order to bring peace to the planet. With her rousing speech defending mankind and their potential for redemption, it now makes no sense that after her victory, she went into hiding and never returned to the spotlight until she chose to aid Batman and Superman against Doomsday in the present.
Fans were willing to chalk this up to something that would be explained in ‘Justice League’. But the fact is, that this might have simply been… a mistake.
While promoting ‘Justice League’ with the rest of the cast, Gadot reacted to questions about Diana’s actions, saying:
“None of us knew exactly, exactly, the back story of Wonder Woman. And once they decided to shoot the solo movie for Wonder Woman and we started to dig in to understand the core of this character, we realized that, actually, there is no way that Wonder Woman would ever give up on mankind.
“The reason why she left the island was because she wanted to make their lives better and safer — they are her calling… So, I’m giving you a very honest answer, but it was — sometimes in a creative process, you establish something that is not necessarily the right decision, but then you can always correct it and change it. So Wonder Woman will always be there, as far as she’s concerned, for mankind.”
Presumably, there will be some reference to her long absence from the spotlight in ‘Justice League’ and of course there is the ‘Wonder Woman’ sequel due in 2019, which may end up being another period piece which would fill in more of her backstory.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of hands involved in these huge movies, so it sounds as though Zack Snyder, who directed ‘Batman V Superman’ had an idea for Diana that didn’t quite mesh with the finished script that Patty Jenkins ended up using for ‘Wonder Woman’. But what can you do? With news that Warner Brothers won’t be connecting its DC Universe movies as tightly as Marvel Studios does with its output, there is probably a little room for some errors in continuity as long as the finished projects turn out enjoyable. By most reactions, ‘Wonder Woman’ was just that and in a couple of weeks, we’ll find out if ‘Justice League’ builds on that momentum.
How do you feel about Gadot’s answer? Is it refreshingly honest? Or would you have preferred a more solid, story-driven explanation?
“Justice League” was directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, story by Terrio & Snyder. Based on characters from DC Entertainment; Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns produced the film, with Jim Rowe, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck serving as executive producers.
Opening beginning on November 17 in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX, “Justice League” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
