When Wonder Woman came out in 2017, it was celebrated as one of the great modern triumphs in women’s empowerment through film. It was the first project in our current era of superhero cinema to feature a female hero as the lead, and it was directed by a woman as well. These simple but important details turned the Wonder Woman release into a more significant event than it would otherwise have been. And really, it couldn’t have gone much better.
Gal Gadot was widely praised for her interpretation of the lead role. Patty Jenkins received arguably even more acclaim for her direction, even if she was famously snubbed at major award shows. The character of Wonder Woman became a symbol for girls and young women, who took to the film enthusiastically enough that Wonder Woman was noted by Time Magazine as the year’s most popular Halloween costumes.
A few years further along though, and the shine around Gadot, Jenkins, and what looks to be an ongoing franchise has faded somewhat. The sequel film — Wonder Woman: 1984 — was not as well received by critics. That said, audience reviews indicted that there are still plenty of Wonder Woman fans out there, which is one reason we trust that there will be more films to come.
In the meantime, what would really elevate this entire project would be for the studio (Warner Bros.), DC Comics, and Gadot herself to expand the power of the character’s influence. This could be done in several fun and interesting ways.
Social Media Presence
This is a slightly unusual idea, but one thing that would be wonderful to see is a suite of social media accounts attributed to Wonder Woman. Naturally they could be run by DC and/or Warner Bros., and handled day-to-day by some of the creatives behind the films. Perhaps Gadot herself could be involved from time to time, releasing short TikTok videos in character or putting out images and behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram.
The reason this strikes us as an exciting move is that kids today live on these apps. So much of the hype surrounding the initial Wonder Woman release in 2017 came down to the impact the film would have on girls and young women, and by all accounts many of these audience members did feel empowered by the character. Through accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok most of all, the studio (and possibly Gadot) could deliver more content concerning the character directly to girls and young women. Wonder Woman on Twitter could support positive social causes, elevate women’s accomplishments, and so on.
Video Games
Maybe the biggest failure in the introduction of the new Wonder Woman character was that DC and Warner Bros. didn’t put out a video game. There has been chatter at various times of a AAA game (basically a high-end video game) based on Wonder Woman. Some looked to the success of the “Arkham Asylum” Batman games as examples of what such a project could look like. Yet even now there is no real indication that a Wonder Woman console game is in the works.
Another opportunity could have been in online casino gaming, where character-based games are actually quite popular (and relatively easy to design). In this case, to be clear there actually is a Wonder Woman title, provided by developers Playtech and Vikings which is featured on popular slot gaming platform Foxy Bingo. This collection is known as one of the most diverse, extensive, and up-to-date sets of casino games in the category, and in fact includes numerous titles devoted to popular comic and film characters. It’s certainly nice to see Wonder Woman included, but it seems a missed opportunity that the game is so generic. That is to say, it does not take advantage of Gadot or the 2017 (or 2020) film to capitalize on their reach and popularity.
These may seem like small quibbles, but Warner Bros. and DC have produced plenty of engaging video games in the past, and one based on the modern Wonder Woman would have reached tens of thousands of players, at least. Whether in AAA console gaming, online casinos, or even app form, it would still be wonderful to see progress on this front.
Actress Exposure
Another way in which the Wonder Woman franchise can and frankly should expand its power is by entrusting roles to little-known actresses. We understand that there have to be stars headlining the cast in order to promote and sell the film, and in this respect the franchise has a done quite well putting women front and center. Yes, Chris Pine has a starring role, and Pedro Pascal was prominent in the sequel. But the group of Gadot, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, and Kristen Wiig have been headliners as well.
One of the really wonderful things these films have done though is to put Lilly Aspell on the map. The talented young actress was born in 2007 and has played “Young Diana” to perfection in both films. So how great would it be to see Warner Bros. discover a few more young, up-and-coming, or little-known actresses for roles in a third film?
There are so many names that come to mind, even without awareness of open roles or new characters. Jasmine Davis has been a breakthrough performer on The Chi, but hasn’t necessarily reached a broader audience yet. Miya Cech has made it onto lists of up-and-coming young actresses to watch, and is ready for a major role. Samantha Barks is a stage actress who was a bright spot in 2012’s Les Misérables film but has seldom been seen in film since. And Janel Tanna and many like her excel in indie films without ever benefiting from big-budget audiences. Of course there are hundreds more names that could be listed! But this small spattering gives an idea of just how much opportunity there is for subsequent Wonder Woman films to do more to elevate talented but little-known figures.
Gadot & Comics
Lastly, it seems a pure missed opportunity for additional publicity not to have Gal Gadot out in front of a new line of comics. Modern superhero films have rejuvenated fans’ interest in comics, and DC has already unveiled new plans for Wonder Woman in print. For Gadot to be asked (and agree) to help promote a new line of comics would be a win-win. It would undoubtedly boost DC Comics’ business with additional sales, but it would also help Gadot to spread the empowering influence of a woman-led superhero saga even more.
Of course, none of this is meant to imply that Wonder Woman hasn’t had an incredible impact already. It’s a very important franchise and will continue to be with or without these suggestions coming to fruition. But it’s also a franchise with unique power, and it would be exciting to see that power put to even greater use.
