Wonder Woman Director Addresses Criticism Of “Skimpy, Sexy Outfit”
One of DC Comics’ most iconic superheroes finally receives her own feature film this week, but [...]
One of DC Comics' most iconic superheroes finally receives her own feature film this week, but it's not without controversy.
Wonder Woman has drawn some ire from critics due to the character design, the costume she dons when fighting criminals and supervillains.
The director of Wonder Woman Patty Jenkins addressed those criticisms directly in an interview with CBS This Morning's Alex Wagner. The reporter said the character is known to be a "feminist icon," while wearing a "skimpy sexy outfit."
"Some people say you can't have both," Wagner said. "What do you say about that?"
"I think that that's sexist. I think it's sexist to think you can't have both," Jenkins said. "I have to ask myself what I would apply to any other superhero. This is fantasy and it's not for anyone other than the person having the fantasy. I, as a little girl, like, took a huge amount of delight in the idea that for my power and my ability to stop that bully on that playground, I can also look like Lynda Carder while doing it."
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The Wonder Woman character has received quite a few redesigns over the years where she's shown significantly less skin.
Before the New 52, she was "de-aged" to being a teenager and wore pants and a black leather jacket, before reverting to her classic look. When the New 52 redesigns first released, Diana Prince had a mix of her classic outfit while wearing pants. And toward the end of the New 52, she was given a more practical suit of armor, like a warrior. All of those costumes were panned by comic book fans and the character returned to variations of the classic outfit she's best known for.
This is not the only controversy Wonder Woman has faced—recently the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater received some negative responses for announcing a series of women's only screenings of the film.
Despite these instances, buzz for Wonder Woman is mounting ahead of its premiere this Friday, when it is poised to make an impact at the box office.
Wonder Woman hits theaters June 2. Let us know how excited you are about Wonder Woman by giving it your own ComicBook User Anticipation Rating below.
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Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot (Chris Pine) who tells her about the massive conflict that's raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.
Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins, from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg & Geoff Johns, story by Heinberg & Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs, and stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Lucy Davis, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner and David Thewlis.