Wonder Woman first appeared in comics in 1941. Despite appearing in over 5,000 issues, several animated series, and a live-action television show, it took 75 years for the character to appear on the big screen. This June, Wonder Woman headlines her own origin movie.
Her appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice gave us an idea how the character would be portrayed. Because of the different origins told in the comics over the years, we had no idea what to expect for her background—until now. We visited Warner Bros. editing studio in London to talk to director Patty Jenkins, and see some footage that hadn't been shown to the public.
There may be some minor spoilers below.
Wonder Woman on Themyscira and Origin
Before watching the new footage and talking to Jenkins, we met with the Wonder Woman production liaison, Anna Obropta. Briefly joining her was senior producer Chuck Roven, Jon Berg, and president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns. Talking about Jenkins' vision, Johns stated, "This defines [Wonder Woman] like [Richard] Donner defined Superman." Those are some big words to live up to. Obropta then gave a detailed description of the Amazons' history and how the movie opens.
The movie begins in the modern day. Wonder Woman, in her civilian guise of Diana Prince, receives a package at her job in the antiquities department at the Louvre in France. Bruce Wayne located the original photo of her during WWI seen in Batman v Superman. This triggers her memories, and she thinks back to her roots with the Amazons.
We'll first see Diana on Themyscira, the Amazons hidden island, at age 8. The way we'll get the history of the Amazons is through an animated sequence from a storybook. Zeus created mankind and Ares--the God of War--became jealous of Zeus' relationship with them. Ares poisons and corrupts man, and then he embarks on killing the other gods. Zeus created the Amazons to help restore peace. When all the gods except for Zeus were killed, Themyscira was created so the Amazons could be safe. They also were given possession of the God Killer sword, the only weapon capable of killing Ares.
Diana is determined to train in order to find and defeat Ares. She does so in secret until her mother finds out. Hippolyta was strongly opposed the idea until it was seen Diana's powers exceed that of the other Amazons.
This is when Steve Trevor crashes onto the island. Trevor is an American fighter pilot working undercover for the British Army. He stole German plans and was being followed by a warship.
Eventually Trevor's words are taken seriously and Diana believes Ares is behind the war. Despite her mother's wishes, Diana is going to help Trevor get off the island provided he takes her to the most dangerous place in the war.
Wonder Woman Arrives In London
The second act of the movie deals with Diana and Trevor leaving the island and arriving in 1918 London. This is where some lighter aspects of he movie come out as she experiences tasting ice cream, seeing a baby, and seeing the current fashions for the first time. This adds some humanity to Wonder Woman. It makes her more accessible to the audience. She has human emotions and vulnerabilities.
The documents Trevor obtained are secret documents from General Ludendorff. Working with Dr. Maru (Doctor Poison), they're developing a deadly poison gas. Ludendorff is working outside the German Army. When Trevor talks to the war council, they refuse to help because they are working on an armistice. Trevor then recruits his buddies to complete their mission with Diana.
Wonder Woman is convinced she'll find Ares at the front lines. If she defeats him, the war will end. Along the way she sees some of the atrocities and repercussions of the war. She is determined to help those in need.
Reaching No Man's Land, Trevor tells her it's impossible to cross with the German soldiers gathered on the other side. She doesn't hesitate to enter the deadly battlefield. She tells Trevor and the others this is why they're here. The Germans concentrate on her with all their firepower, which allows Trevor and the others to approach from a different angle. This is the first time Wonder Woman really pushes herself in combat.
Patty Jenkins' Thoughts
Jenkins first met with Warner Bros. in 2004 to work on a Wonder Woman feature. Despite meeting with them every few years, the timing was never right. She came close again in 2008 but was unable to fit it into her schedule. She discussed being grateful to Marvel Studios when she had the opportunity to direct the first Thor film. She withdrew when she felt she wasn't the right director for it. With Wonder Woman, she wants to do a great origin story. Her dream is to make the sort of movies that impacted her as a child. She believes in aiming high and wants to make a masterpiece.
When asked about Wonder Woman's costume in the story, Jenkins stated that Diana broke into the armory on Themyscira to take the God Killer sword when she decided to leave. The costume was there and may be a mystical gift from the gods. The idea behind the bracelets isn't really delved into in the movie. The other Amazons also have them. Diana's ability to deflect bullets is more about her than the material of the bracelets.
Can we expect a new trailer? A specific release date for it wasn't given, but we can expect different footage when it's released. Wonder Woman opens in theaters on June 2.