Hello, Wonder kids! Welcome to Wonder Woman Wednesday. I’m Michael Troy, and I’ll be your tour guide for the next three or four paragraphs. So, sit back, buckle your invisible seat belts, and let’s talk Wonder Woman!
It was announced recently that in addition to a solo Joker movie starring Jared Leto, fans will be treated to a second Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role. This would be set in a separate continuity and serve more as a character study, allowing the Joker to be explored in new ways and not to be bogged down by continuity or the pressure of a franchise and sequels. I think it’s a fab idea. DC’s animated films have proven fans are receptive to
different interpretations of the classics as they always remain true to the core character.
It’s funny that fans went crazy when Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman. Yes, I understand that people think Lynda Carter is the one and only Wonder Woman; she certainly is the most famously associated with the character and arguably the best, but there have been other versions. There was the out-there ’60s TV sitcom pilot that featured a bored housewife who turned into Wonder Woman for kicks. I’m sure there were no psychotropic drugs involved in that conception. There was the Cathy Lee Crosby TV movie version featuring a blond, powerless, Kung fu fighter. I have yet to see this, but from all accounts, it could be worse and I love the design of the costume. It has a certain . . . I don’t know what. You’ve gotta love the ’70s! Then, there’s the Superfriends version which is one of my favorites, and a host of other animated versions.
Aside from the many changes Wonder Woman has experienced in her own title, we have been introduced to a host of different iterations of Diana through the comics. Amazon, the amagalmation of Wonder Woman and The X-Men’s Storm remains a favorite of mine. Earth One Wonder Woman is a mind-blowing update on the character using the core foundation of what her creator, William Moulton Marston, had created from the genius mind of Frank Miller. There was also Amazonia featuring a Victorian-era carnival performing Wonder Woman. There are many awesome takes.
Oddly, there has yet to be a Dark Knight Returns for Wonder Woman. The Dark Knight has to be the biggest watershed moment for the character, an important moment of comic book history for helping to uher in the age of the grim and gritty for better or worse. Superman has All-Star Superman as a classic, definitive take on the character. Wonder Woman doesn’t really have an earth-shattering character-changing/defining story. Guess I’ll have to write it. Come on, DC. I promise not to drop the lasso! (Seriously.)
I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to Paradise Island in the film. I thought it would be rehash and take too long explaining it to people not in the know. Of course, it was handled so expertly by Patty Jenkins that I was blown away. I really think the Amazons need a Netflix series, for sure.
People want Wonder Woman. The audience cheered when she sprang into action in Justice League. She commands the screen with ease. This is largely in part due to Gal’s tremendous charisma, but it’s also a deep love of the character.
How fun would a dramedy called Earth 2 be, where all of the characters’ kids take over as the heroes get older. The jokes are billowing out of my brain. Yo, I can write this one, too!
They’ve simply got to be planning something with the CW. It would be fun to see a fish out of water take some where between The Little Mermaid and Kimmy Schmidt.
What do you think? Do you like the idea of multiple versions of Wonder Woman? Or is there only room for one?
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