Special Features - The Wonder Woman Mandate: Do we really need a solo Wonder Woman movie?‏

Anghus Houvouras asks whether we really need a solo Wonder Woman movie...

Do we need a Wonder Woman movie?

Short Answer: No.

There, I just saved you ten minutes of reading.  For the long answer, please continue.

We don't need a Wonder Woman solo movie.  After hearing about the character being included in Zack Snyder's Batman vs. Superman, I audibly groaned.  Not only because I was hoping DC and Warner Bros. would avoid the reverse engineered Avengers strategy they had been mulling, but because it felt like we're getting the character pushed into pre-existing properties like Batman vs. Superman because of a misguided sense of fairness.  Because comic book movies (and, lets face it comic books in general) have a very limited scope when it comes to female characters and there are those who think its time to end this super hero sausage party.

The truth is, most people don't want a Wonder Woman movie.  They're not interested in the character.  But few people are willing to even talk about the subject because saying 'Wonder Woman wouldn't make an interesting movie' is somehow akin to saying "I don't respect women".  Even bringing the subject up will get you leveled by a very loud minority who will quickly employ bullying techniques to shout you down.  No one wants to have this discussion because you can't merely talk about Wonder Woman as a character or a creative property.  People don't want to discuss the 'wonder'.  They only want to discuss the 'woman'.

This topic is sensitive, so I expect some raw nerves and clenched teeth.  Bear with me here.  The road gets a little twisted.  I'm not saying there isn't room for Wonder Woman and other female character in the world of comic book adaptations.  There are those who will read the headline and immediately form a conclusion: that my disinterest in a Wonder Woman movie and the character in general when isolated from her superhero peers is somehow sexist and I'm just another knuckle dragging moron who is disinterested in female heroes.  For those of you willing to have a cerebral discussion on the topic, feel free to continue.  For those of you who want to tell me I suck, feel free to skip to the comments section below.

And we begin...

Most male superheroes are musclebound men who embody the best of the gender.  They are strong, smart, and most of the ones who make their way into cinemas live by a stringent moral code.  They are good, decent men who try to make the world a better place.  Most are dressed in skin tight outfits covering 90% of their body.  The only skin you'll find on Batman are the openings in his cowl.  The only skin you see on Superman is his head and his hands.

Most female superheroes are fetishized sexual fantasies as envisioned by men.  They are strong and smart.  Very few have made their way into cinemas (more on that later).  Most are dressed provocatively with a lot of exposed skin.  Even the ones dressed in full body suits (Black Widow, Catwoman) have the plunging necklines.  Superhero comic book readers are predominantly men, and the women portrayed in them are more often than not sexualized for the target audience.  While Wonder Woman is at times written with more complexity than a masturbatory fantasy, the core of the character and the iconic elements she is known for all revolve around the sexualized elements.

The red, white, and blue swimsuit.  The lasso.  The boots.  There's a reason why Wonder Woman costumes are so popular at Halloween, and it's not because people are so enamored with the character.

As a comic book character, Wonder Woman has never been a high seller.  Currently she languishes around the bottom quarter of the top 100 comics.  She does fare well in team up books, like the recent Superman/Wonder Woman title and her ongoing connection to the Justice League.  It's why her inclusion in Batman vs. Superman feels like the best potential home for the character, who works best in a group dynamic.  My issues with Wonder Woman appearing in Batman vs. Superman are more about the movie being packed with too many characters and too many plots.  The 'orgy of excess' I spoke of in an earlier column.

Honestly, if Wonder Woman as a character is ever going to work cinematically, Batman vs. Superman is the best vehicle to test the waters. But that doesn't mean we need a Wonder Woman solo movie.  Why can't the character exist within the DC cinematic universe within the framework of films like Batman vs. Superman or  the eventual Justice League movie?  Why is there so much volume from a very small fan base for a Wonder Woman movie?

Because in their minds, it's an issue of fairness.  A male dominated super-hero world has relegated women to the sidelines with supporting roles.  I won't pretend to understand the perspective of the disenfranchised female fans who want to see a female superhero brought to the big screen with the same care as other icons.  However, I say with great confidence that I don't think a Wonder Woman movie would usher in a new era of female super hero movies.

It'd be nice to have a female super-hero one day.  But why does it have to be Wonder Woman?  Simply because she's the most iconic female superhero, rather than the best one to bring to the big screen.  Just because something is iconic doesn't mean it will translate to the big screen.  Wonder Woman's heavy connections Mythology will immediately draw Thor comparisons.  Warner Bros. has been doing an excellent job with their properties lately.  From Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, to the Man of Steel (a movie I rather liked), to small screen offerings like Arrow.  Why put effort and finances into something derivative and uninspired simply because the character has a high recognition factor?

Yes, people recognize Wonder Woman because the character is corny.  Look at the character's pop culture profile.  The character is referenced in shows like The Big Bang Theory when they need to put Kaley Cuoco in a revealing outfit.  Constant references to her magic lasso, tying men up and forcing them to tell the truth, and sight gags using her invisible plane in shows like Robot Chicken.  Wonder Woman is a character with a real image problem: no one takes her seriously.  Wonder Woman has become synonymous with silliness and sexuality.  What has prevented her from coming to the big screen has nothing to do with finding the right take on the character, it's that the character simply isn't original enough or taken seriously enough to warrant a $200 million dollar investment.

Wonder Woman is also lacking any recognition factor outside the primary character.  There are no iconic villains or ancillary characters screaming for a cinematic treatment.  No Jokers or Lex Luthors to get people excited.

Let's face it: It would take a masterful Wonder Woman movie to get people to move past the magic lasso, the invisible jet, the bondage jokes.  It's not impossible mind you, but I think those who cling to the idea of a Wonder Woman movie are doing so out of a belief that bringing her to the big screen is some kind of benchmark.  Unfortunately, just getting the movie made isn't any kind of achievement.  And because of all the hyperbole and indignation, a Wonder Woman movie has already become more than a movie.  It's a movement.  A mandate.  A point of contention.  It becomes an ideological argument.  The movie is already saddled with baggage and it doesn't even exist.

Let's get a female super-hero movie into production, but lets base it on something more than iconography.  If people are pinning all their hopes on Wonder Woman leading a new charge of female super-hero movies because of her recognition factor, the whole enterprise might be finished before it even starts.

Including Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman was something that felt forced when I first read about it, but more and more it feels like the most organic place to house the character.  Perhaps the best way to resolve the Wonder Woman mandate is by putting her in a movie alongside heroes like Batman and Superman.  Showing a powerful female hero that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the most powerful heroes on Earth. 

Finding a right place for the character is an idea I can get behind. Mandating an entire movie is another story entirely.

Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon.