New Wonder Woman 1984 Photo Might Call Back to Controversial Comic Storyline

Wonder Woman 1984 is still over a year from opening in theaters, but fans got a treat today when director Patty Jenkins took to Twitter to share a photo from the upcoming film featuring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. The photo was shared to honor Gadot on her birthday, but it may also provide an interesting hint to the upcoming DC Extended Universe film — one with a callback to a controversial comics storyline for the Amazonian.

In the photo, which you can check out in Jenkins’ tweet below, Gadot’s Diana is seen in an all-white outfit, her dark hair worn long and swept off to the side. While there’s not really any specific context to the photo, for those who know the heroine’s comic book history it’s hard not to think about another time Diana wore all-white, back in the late 1960s — a time when the heroine was stripped of her powers.

The 1970s were, culturally, an interesting time to say the least and that translated to comics as well. In 1969, Denny O’Neil came on board to write Wonder Woman starting with #178. The issue shifted Wonder Woman to a more “mod” take on the character with stylish new clothes of the era and, at a point in the run, with a major status quo change. During the early issues of O’Neil’s run, Diana renounces her powers and lineage and instead embraced her “human” identity, that of Diana Prince — martial artist, store owner, fashionable woman. In one page from Wonder Woman #191, Diana Prince is seen doing what any normal woman would do, hunt for a place to live in the big city while rocking a sleek, all-white outfit and hairstyle eerily similar to the one Gadot’s Diana is wearing in Jenkins’ photo.

The story didn’t exactly sit well. While Diana was by no means “weak” in the run, she was stripped of her super powers, a move that was seen by some — particularly those within the Women’s Liberation Movement — as anti-feminist. The run concluded in Wonder Woman #204 and has aged somewhat better than it was received — even de-powered, Diana was still a strong, independent woman doing her thing, but it’s still a controversial one.

At this point, there’s no real indication that this wardrobe choice has any bearing on the story of Wonder Woman 1984. It could simply be a clever Easter Egg, a nod to the character’s history — which would be interesting and fitting considering that the film is an early 1980s adventure and, therefore, not that far removed from the 1970s. It also could be a clue fans will get a taste of a depowered Wonder Woman. Barbara Minerva, played by Kristen Wiig, is also in the film. In comics Barbara — also known as the villain Cheetah — did at one point covet Diana’s lasso and even managed to steal it from her. Perhaps the same will happen in Wonder Woman 1984, putting Diana at a power disadvantage, but still be the powerful heroine fans know and love.

Wonder Woman 1984 opens in theaters on June 5, 2020. Shazam! is now in theaters. Other upcoming DC Extended Universe movies include Birds of Prey on February 7, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, and The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021.

What do you think of the new Wonder Woman 1984 photo? Let us know in the comments below.