1st Batman v Superman Wonder Woman figure is a Barbie. Really?

Here's the latest editorial from my blog, Viners!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's opening weekend is quickly approaching and with San Diego Comic-Con right around the corner (at the time of writing this), it's obvious Warner Bros' big DC movie is going to have quite a presence at the event. We're all anxious to see what'll be revealed during WB's Hall H presentation - last year they showed footage and finally revealed Gal Gadot in her Wonder Woman costume - but there's obviously going to be plenty of merchandise as well. Funko has revealed its adorable versions of Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman - which I would totally want to buy if I was going to the convention - and now Mattel has revealed some of its BvS collectibles.

There's a two-pack of Batman and Superman action figures, two Hot Wheels vehicles, and the very first Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman figure! Did she also get an action figure so fans could pose her with the two other DC heroes or pretend to have her fight Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent? Nope, she gets a Barbie. Why? Because apparently girls don't collect action figures?

On one hand, having a Wonder Woman Barbie figure out there is pretty awesome (and it sounds like a Batman and Superman one are on the way). There's a zero percent chance I'd ever buy it, but this gives young fans - and some older collectors - the chance to have an especially strong and inspiring Barbie. Hopefully, it gets them into the DC heroine - you know, even though Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice looks like it's aiming to be a more "mature" comic book movie. Still, there's many other Wonder Woman things kids can enjoy, like the comics and the Justice League animated show. Anyway, there's countless Dark Knight and Man of Steel collectibles available, so the chance to get even more people interested in Diana is of course a good thing. That said, I can't help but find this choice to be pretty ridiculous. Why do Batman and Superman get action figures and Wonder Woman's instead turned into a Barbie? Yeah, Batman and Superman are the main characters in the movie, but stereotyping much? This is DC's trinity, people! Young and old fans should be able to have all three of them together - something which paints Wonder Woman as their equal instead of pandering and thinking the only way young girls would want a Diana figure is if it's a Barbie.

I'm sure we'll eventually see Wonder Woman action figures, but why didn't Mattel instead just make that two-pack a three-pack, especially since EW's latest cover implies Wonder Woman will play a noteworthy role in the movie and we know she has her own spinoff in a few years? It currently costs $30 ($15 for each figure, which seems overpriced based on the quality seen in those images), so if they included her, they could bump it to $45 or even $40, just so it seems more affordable. Doing so absolutely would not prevent many, many people from buying it. Maybe this Barbie will create a new generation of Wonder Woman fans and maybe it'll motivate others to get more into the character. Maybe I'm overreacting here, but I can't help but feel like Wonder Woman - who's a ridiculously skilled and powerful warrior - not getting her own action figure (just yet?) along with Superman and Batman is pretty messed up.