Wonder Woman Director Details How The Heroine Represents Women

05/02/2017 05:54 pm EDT

Forty years after Lynda Carter brought the Amazon Warrior to television screens, fans are finally going to be able to see Wonder Woman kick ass in movie theaters.

It's a pretty big deal whether you're a diehard fan of the character or not, as it makes the first big screen production from a woman superhero. [We're not counting Catwoman or Elektra because 1: they're villains and 2: come on, you know why.]

Director Patty Jenkins is speaking more about why she wanted to make a movie and why this story in particular means so much to both men and women in a landscape of superhero action films dominated by men.

Speaking to Sci-Fi Now, Jenkins said she wants the film to make an impact.

"The interesting thing about [Wonder Woman] is there's no convincing to do; she has a cool following that never stops," Jenkins said. "So many different superheroes have come and gone and Wonder Woman remains and has always remained one of the key, pivotal, important ones."

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Jenkins added that more films have been made that helped change the perception of what audiences want from a superhero film.

"Things like The Hunger Games have already made a huge impact and I think they helped open the door for us," Jenkins said. "It's finally saying: 'Look, there are people making these things with female leads that doesn't become a chick's film! It becomes a film for both genders!' and so other people have opened the door, but I certainly hope that in the superhero genre this will change things."

The director added that she doesn't think one particular character needs to be representative of a specific genre, that these roles shouldn't be defined so rigidly.

"That's part of the interesting thing about Wonder Woman," Jenkins said, "The expectation is that she should represent all women. Then again it comes down to that [think of there being] 70 male characters who get to represent every different version of men, but only one woman who has to represent not everybody but every struggling thing, you know?

"Of course she won't end up representing everyone, but I hope she represents men and women. I hope she represents all kinds of people that never thought they'd be represented by her, because she's a universe character. That's what I want more than anything. She's all of us because everybody's wanted to do the right thing but not known how to do it, or be stronger or be good."

When it comes down to it, it's about relating "to the struggle to be a better person."

It doesn't get any more universal than that.

You can find the synopsis below. Wonder Woman currently enjoys a 4.05 out of 5 on ComicBook.com's anticipation rankings. Vote in the Movie Database and tell us how excited you are for the DC Comics hero's first film.

MORE WONDER WOMAN NEWS: Producer Reveals How Diana Is Different From Batman, Superman / Wonder Woman Stuns On The Cover Of Cinema Teaser / New Trailer Shows A Goddess Ready For War / Patty Jenkins On The Differences Between DC's Upcoming Films

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).

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