by Ricardo Williams
Its finally happening. 76 years after her first appearance in All Star Comics #8 in October 1941, the most famous female superhero in comic book history is finally getting her first solo live-action film. This is certainly a big deal for fanboys (and girls) who’ve waited a long time for this- but there is something more important at stake here. The Wonder Woman movie must be a critical and commercial success, here are two reasons why…
First off, lets be honest. Since Christopher Nolan said farewell to Batman, responses to DC films have been mixed at best. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were bloated, expensive, overhyped, predictable and an utter waste of so much talent. Out of the three films currently released in the DC Extended Universe, the best would likely be Man of Steel– and even fans and critics agreed that it was too sad with a muted color scheme not symbolic of Superman’s commanding sense of hope and optimism.
Four years and three films in and DC has yet to release their version of Marvel’s 2008 Iron Man or 2012’s Avengers or 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier or 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy or 2016’s Captain America: Civil War or 2016’s Doctor Strange…. you see where I’m going with this. Marvel has released hit after hit after hit and though they’re bloated, expensive, maybe overhyped, arguably predictable and sometimes even a waste of talent- people actually like them. Critics and fans agree that Marvel movies are fun and at certain times even thought-provoking, but most importantly they are getting people of all ages excited to actually go to the movies. And they’re not only dominating the ever expanding superhero genre but the entire movie industry. With 15 films produced in the last 9 years (and 11 more in various stages of production), Marvel Studios has collectively grossed over $11.7 billion at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing film franchise of all-time. Thats right, bigger than Harry Potter, bigger than James Bond, bigger than Lord of the Rings, and even bigger than Star Wars! At this point, Marvel could probably start hosting their own annual convention.
My point is, with Marvel getting bigger with every release, can DC survive a fourth consecutive film with a lackluster response? The good news is that many critics around the world have already seen Wonder Woman prior to its June 2nd release and the responses are pouring in; the word is that its good- VERY good. But I hate to rain on their parade, but that isn’t enough.
Which leads me to my second point. Wonder Woman can’t just please critics and comic book fans, it needs to translate to big numbers at the box office- like REALLY big.
1984’s Supergirl was the first superhero film ever to feature a female in the lead role. Since then I can count on one hand how many films have done the same (Tank Girl, Catwoman, Elektra) and every single one of them bored critics, angered fans, and ultimately bombed at the box office. Those films are excuses that studio executives use when they debate whether to have a female front and center in a superhero film. Wonder Woman is clearly a more popular character riding a wave of superhero excitement on the big screen, so its chances of success are far greater than that of its predecessors, but it also means that if it fails to meet financial expectations it will sting harder and have a greater negative impact.
Lets not forget there’s not only a female leading the cast, but there’s also a female leading the crew. Director Patty Jenkins is only the second female director in history to be given a budget over $100 million; and with over a hundred plus superhero films ever made, she’s one of only a couple women who’ve ever been given the opportunity to make one.
Women are already struggling for opportunities on-screen and behind the camera and Wonder Woman is a bold risk for the doubting patriarchal leaders in Hollywood. The only thing that will calm their doubts is commercial success. Wonder Woman’s iconic status and good reviews must translate to lots of money so that those studio executives in Hollywood think twice about ever questioning whether female(s) could make a big budget superhero movie.
