When it hit theaters this summer, ‘Wonder Woman’ changed the game in a few ways. Not only was it a genuine hit in its own right, bringing the DC Extended Universe some desperately needed goodwill, but it established the Amazing Amazon ever more firmly as a major player in the DC films. But it also raised a few questions.
When Wonder Woman was introduced in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, she came across as something of a reluctant hero, having perhaps been disillusioned in the course of her time in Man’s World. The film never comes out and says it, but this is alluded to when she mentions “walking away from mankind” and having witnessed “a century of horrors.” Now, after recovering from the psychic trauma of actually watching ‘Batman v Superman’, one could reasonably guess that this apparent disillusionment would be explained in her then-upcoming solo film.
This, however, would not turn out to be the case. While she would certainly witness her share of horrors in the course of her solo film, she ends the movie more inspired than alienated. Of course, ‘Wonder Woman’ takes place in 1918 and ‘Batman v Superman’ in 2016. Suffice it to say, a lot can happen in a century. So just what has Wonder Woman been up to? What happened to change her attitude? At a recent press event in London, actress Gal Gadot addressed just that question:
“What is clear is that, whether or not Wonder Woman was out there or incognito, she was always very involved. She was always very active in Man’s World. And she was always acting to save and to help and to better the world. That’s all I can tell you.”
While it’s good to know that Wonder Woman was, in one way or another, active in Man’s World for the last century (after all, one of the recurring criticisms of the DCEU films is that they often seem to have a problem with heroes simply being heroes), Gadot’s response nonetheless raises as many questions as it answers. If she was active for that long, when and why did she walk away from humanity? Perhaps that was a recent development. Perhaps the powers that be haven’t worked that detail out yet. Or are there plans to address that in an upcoming film? While it’s possible that ‘Justice League’ could deal with this, it seems more likely to be a plot point in ‘Wonder Woman 2’.
Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon, ‘Justice League’ will serve as the flagship entry in DC’s burgeoning cinematic universe. The film will feature returning stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, and Jesse Eisenberg alongside a slate of newcomers that includes Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amber Heard, Ciaran Hinds, and J.K. Simmons. The film will arrive in theaters on November 17, 2017.