Superhero movies have been smash hits in the box office for the last few years and do not seem to be stopping anytime soon. However, as dozens of movies staring male super heroes premiere, fans have to wonder where the blockbusters about female superheroes are.
The major hope for a female hero right now is Gal Gabot, who set to star as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince in DC‘s 2016 movie Batman vs. Superman, but, despite the creation of recent Superman and Batman films Man of Steel and the Dark Knight movies, as well as a planned Justice League reboot, there are no plans for a Wonder Woman movie.
“I don’t think [Wonder Woman’]s that much of a famous comic book character,” says Emily Mariano, “Compared to Batman or Spider-man.”
In contrast, Marvel, which produces the Avengers, the Iron Man movies, the Amazing Spider-Man reboot, as well as almost a dozen other movies planned up through 2028, is considering releasing a solo movie for Scarlett Johansson‘s Black Widow. Black Widow has also appeared in Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the Avengers.
The complexity of Wonder Woman’s origins could be a reason for the lack of movie or franchise, but a more likely reason is the pressure of Wonder Woman being the female superhero. No other female hero has the iconic status equivalent to that of Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man, which means that a bad Wonder Woman movie would seriously hurt the presence of women in the superhero genre.
“Wonder Woman is a woman’s role model,” says Angela Baker, “And I think DC is really behind Marvel with superhero movies. I think it’s kind of silly not to make a Wonder Woman movie because she’s one of DC’s biggest heroes.”
Despite the success of franchises like the Hunger Games, the inclusion of Tauriel in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, female protagonist Tris Prior in Divergent, and other examples, there is also the fear that a female hero cannot carry a successful movie. But this line of thinking seems to counteract the progressive line of thought coming from franchises with female protagonists, and, seeing as a large percentage of moviegoers are women, especially in movies with female protagonists, a Wonder Woman movie could be a hit.
“I think that it’s really important to make sure there are heroes that are also feminine, rather than completely male,” says Mariano.
There has been no Wonder Woman movie since Lynda Carter‘s portrayal from 1975-1979; a reboot is long overdue.
For a growing number of female superhero fans, a Wonder Woman movie would be a fresh perspective and a new take after dozens of male protagonists in movies where the female lead is a somewhat-helpful girlfriend waiting patiently for years for her boyfriend to return, a damsel-in-distress, or an interesting character slated to die (spoiler warning).
To bring equality and new interest to the superhero genre, there is a desperate need for a Wonder Woman movie and other powerful, interesting, and dynamic female characters.