Man, I really, really, really want WONDER WOMAN to be good. I love the character, and it'd be nice to have a female-led superhero film that doesn't suck (looking at you, CATWOMAN and ELEKTRA). And while all the trailers have kicked ass, there's always been something bugging me about them. Not just that ALL the DC movies have kick-ass trailers that don't always deliver, but also the fact that it's set in the past. I don't mind a period superhero movie (CAPTAIN AMERICA was cool), but rather what it means for Wonder Woman as a character. If Superman is the first ever public metahuman (with Batman being a legend in the shadows), and if Wonder Woman existed in WWI, then where has she been all this time? Hell, BATMAN V SUPERMAN pretty blatantly states she gave up at one point, which is a shitty characterization for her.
Anyway, Zack Snyder, who's producing WONDER WOMAN, as well as directing JUSTICE LEAGUE, had this to say about her multi-film arc:
Humanity isn’t always the most kind and awesome thing…It has its moments, but it can be brutal, and her coming to terms with that dichotomy is what we come to learn about her. And in Justice League, she’s fully evolved into someone who’s embraced mankind, partly through Superman’s sacrifice. She’s like, ‘All right, I’ve got to pick it up.'
So is he saying her first feature film is going to end with her giving up? You could argue that's not what he meant by "coming to terms", but considering where she ends up in BvS, it's not a huge stretch. And if so, she has to be inspired by a dude to continue being a hero? If true, this is…awful. I wonder if that direction is the reason why Michelle MacLaren left before Patty Jenkins stepped in?
Now, to be fair, I could be reading too much into all this. The idea of a naive superhero being confronted with the darkness of man is an interesting concept…but was also already kind of what MAN OF STEEL was about (even if half-assedly). And if that's the theme you want to do, fine, but you should have her rise ABOVE IT, not be consumed by it. Again, if true, it'd be more proof Snyder doesn't understand these characters. Let's hope I'm wrong.
Either way, WONDER WOMAN will invisible jet to theaters June 2nd, 2017 while JUSTICE LEAGUE will hopefully not suck November 17th.