Gal Gadot Says Wonder Woman Is 'Of Course' A Feminist

05/18/2017 06:04 pm EDT

When you think of feminist icons, a slew of names come to mind. But, when it comes to superheroes, Wonder Woman takes the top spot when it comes to female representation. As the princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman is a go-to champion for women as Diana Prince fights for gender equality. When Wonder Woman hits theaters in less than a month, moviegoers will get to see Gal Gadot bring the heroine to life. And, in a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, the star stressed that Wonder Woman will redefine feminism for audiences new and old.

"Wonder Woman is a feminist, of course," Gadot explained. "I think people have a misconception about what feminism is. People think hairy armpits and women who burn bras and hate men. That's not it. For me, feminism is all about equality and freedom and [women] choosing what we want to do. If it's salaries, then we get paid equal to men. It's not men vs. women or women vs. men."

"It was important to me that my character would never come and preach about how men should treat women. Or how women should perceive themselves. It was more about playing oblivious to society's rules. 'What do you mean women can't go into the Parliament? Why?'" Gadot continued.

"It's just reminding everyone how things should be. I wanted to play the fish out of water, but I didn't want to play her too silly."

For Wonder Woman, feminism has little to do with one-upping and more to do with blanket equality. The movie's two leads will share the screen, but Diana will not lord her feminine charms over Steve Trevor or belittle him for his sex. Instead, the pair will move forward as true partners - and any romance that comes along after is just a bonus.

"We didn't want to make Steve the damsel in distress, and we wanted them to have a very equal relationship," Gadot said. "If she falls in love with him, then he should be someone that every woman falls in love with."

In the past, Gadot has spoken out about what makes Wonder Woman a feminist icon, and the actress says it has to do with the heroine's devoted interest in equality and justice. "She doesn't see the difference any gender difference, it's not even an issue," the actress told ComicBook earlier this year. "She comes from this point where men and woman are equal and it's not a thing to be a man or to be a woman."

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.

Joining Gadot in the international cast are Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Ewen Bremner and Saïd Taghmaoui. Patty Jenkins directs the film from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and Geoff Johns, story by Zack Snyder and Allan Heinberg, based on characters from DC Entertainment. Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston.

The DCEU continues when Wonder Woman opens in theaters on June 2, 2017, 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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[HT] Entertainment Weekly

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