Superheroes are not strangers to love. Over the decades, comic books have given pop culture some of its most iconic lovers of all-time. The relationship between Superman and Lois Lane appears to be universally known, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe made Tony Starks fall deep for Pepper Potts. However, when it comes to female heroes, having a lover can leave them open to being “too weak” or “too emotional.”
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So, it’s a real good thing the director of Wonder Woman does not subscribe to the thought. Patty Jenkins got real about Wonder Woman having a love interest when she did interviews for the novel Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of The Film. It was there she said it’s not fair heroines feel like they must go it alone for fear of being seen as submissive.
“I feel like one of the most ironically sexist things that happened to women heroes for so long was that they had universal storytelling taken away from them,” Jenkins explained.
“So, male superheroes could have Lois Lane. They can have love, they can have vulnerability, they can have complexity. But women superheroes or strong women characters had to be, ‘I don’t need anyone, I’m the toughest person in the world.’ That’s not fair to anybody. No human being is an island like that.
When it came to Wonder Woman, Jenkins knew there would be some chemistry between Diana and Steve Trevor. The couple comes straight from the comics, and their intertwined history has had its ups and downs. Ultimately, Steve became a very necessary part of the film, but Jenkins didn’t want any romance to clutter the trajectory of Wonder Woman’s heroic journey. It was thanks to Chris Pine that such a thing never happened.
“Chris Pine was a rare and special casting,” Jenkins said, praising the actor. “We wanted a man who was a true parallel to Diana. A giant spirit who is the kind of man one aspires to be, but isn’t afraid to be complex and leave room for and even compliment another. He’s the kind of man women want to believe is out there. He’s also one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with.”
Steve’s role in Wonder Woman is one which gives audiences a status quo look into the world of man. The character also acts as a whet stone to sharpen Diana’s sense of heroism as she must decide whether to believe in mankind or not. Their complex relationship gives and takes, giving both parties a chance to learn and grow. And, thanks to Jenkins, there’s no part of their relationship which sees Wonder Woman transformed into an overly tough warrior who don’t need no man.
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, Princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins and is written by Allan Heinberg, Geoff Johns, and Zack Snyder. The film stars Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman), Chris Pine (Steve Trevor), Robin Wright (General Antiope), Connie Nielsen (Queen Hippolyta), David Thewlis, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis (Etta Candy), Danny Huston, Ewen Bremmer, Doutzen Kroes, Samantha Jo (Euboea), Florence Kasumba (Senator Acantha), Said Taghmaoui, Eleanor Matsuura (Epione), Emily Carey (Young Diana), and Lisa Loven Kongsli (Menalippe).
Wonder Woman is in theaters now, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020. The Flash, The Batman, Dark Universe and Man of Steel 2 are currently without a release dates.
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