We have to get her right, we have to. She is such an icon for both genders and all ages and for people who love the original TV show and people who read the comics now. I think one of the biggest challenges at the company is getting that right on any size screen. The reasons why are probably pretty subjective: She doesn’t have the single, clear, compelling story that everyone knows and recognizes. There are lots of facets to Wonder Woman, and I think the key is, how do you get the right facet for that right medium? What you do in TV has to be different than what you do in features. She has been, since I started, one of the top three priorities for DC and for Warner Bros. We are still trying right now, but she’s tricky.
-DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson
Lately Wonder Woman is considered one of the “Trinity” along with Batman and Superman. While Green Lantern finally had a movie, he hasn’t broken into the “favored”. Wonder Woman is supposedly one of the favored. Let’s look at the stats.
Batman
- number of serials: 2
- number of movies: 9
- number of TV shows: 7
Superman
- number of serials: 2
- number of movies: 9, plus a series of theatrical shorts
- number of TV shows: 8
Wonder Woman
- number of serials: 0
- number of movies: 0 (I’m counting theatrical movies)
- number of TV shows: 1
And I’m not counting direct to video movies (where Wonder Woman has one) or team-up shows like Super Friends, Justice League, or the stuff that Wonder Woman wasn’t part of. Additionally, she guest-starred on one episode of Ruby-Spears’ underrated Superman cartoon and that’s pretty much been it. Think that’s all the proof that Diane Nelson needs a new argument? Not even.
Has Wonder Woman ever had her own video game? No, although she’s had an appearance in at least six. Guest appearances in non-DC shows? She guested on an episode of The Brady Kids, the animated spin-off of The Brady Bunch. But so has Superman, and the Lone Ranger. (They had a magic bird. Don’t ask.) I’m not listing parody appearances. She’s only had one direct-to-video movie to herself while Batman and Superman have both had many, and Green Lantern has had two, plus his own animated series. There was also no Wonder Woman audio drama back when radio was king, but Superman had a long-running one and attempts were made for a Batman series. (Batman and Robin also made an appearance on Superman’s show. Wonder Woman? Nope.)
There have been five attempts to create a live-action Wonder Woman series, only one of which made it to TV and had a major change in season two (moved to modern day). There was a TV movie pilot with Cathy Lee Crosby which was pretty good for the time but wasn’t quite Wonder Woman. Then there is the one by the producers of the 60’s Batman and Green Hornet shows.
Kind of puts Kelley’s in a new light, doesn’t it?
So how is Wonder Woman soooooo iconic that she has to be “done right” before she gets a break? How did she even get into the Trinity? Because she’s the only female DC character to get her own production? What about the Supergirl movie? So Diana is the only one not spun off of another character to get her own production. One. One production. They only got it right once?
I haven’t seen the direct-to-video Wonder Woman movie but I hear good things about it. Her appearances in Super Friends, Justice League, and that Ruby-Spears guest-appearance were done right. And that TV series with Linda Carter was not only good but it holds up for the most part today, more than Superman, Batman, or Captain Marvel’s TV shows (as much as I enjoy all three). Speaking of Captain Marvel, The Secret Of Isis, and the main character’s appearance in Freedom Force, also showed how you could make a female superhero. And she was the first female superhero on TV. (Which is why I refuse to believe Black Adam’s consort is the same Isis.)
We have all of this evidence that Wonder Woman CAN BE DONE RIGHT! Yes, the David E. Kelley pilot is a joke and so it that one up there. The Cathy Lee Crosby one didn’t work out, but we now have at least five templates I can confirm are good templates for a new Wonder Woman movie/TV series, either animated or live-action.
- The Linda Carter series
- Super Friends (with some updating)
- Justice League
- The Ruby-Spears Superman appearance
- The direct-to-video movie
It’s also easy to find comics that fans enjoy. She only had one title, unlike Superman and Batman who had at least 3 apiece at any one time, so finding writers that fans like from the comic should be easy. Go read Bluefall’s “When Wondy Was Awesome” series. She goes over all the moments that makes Wonder Woman such a good character and that she does have recurring villains that, under the right writing team and directors, could make for some good adventures. (People only remember Cheetah because of Challenge Of The Superfriends.) And she’s right, Wonder Woman IS awesome, which is why there’s been a surge of fanfilms to prove it! Go check YouTube. There has to be a good idea there somewhere.
There’s your guide, Ms. Nelson. Go over all of that and you can do Wonder Woman right…and finally treat her like the icon you claim she is!
(As I finished writing that, I recall that the National Organization for Women took issue with Diana’s redesign that stupidly was made to appease to feminists…by depowering her and making it into a martial arts series. I wonder if that has DC scared, too?)
Related articles
- BW Article Link: Wonder Woman, The Tricky Icon
- 10 Ways to Make a Wonder Woman Movie Not Suck (toplessrobot.com)
I actually disagree with Topless Robot that it has to be an epic movie instead of a TV show. Lately movies and comics seem to be TOO focused on epic…okay, idea for next week. Otherwise, add that article to the guide.
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