When I was younger, my ideal TV shows consisted of a lot of superheroes. More specifically, superheroes from DC Comics. Now I don't really care for the DC versus Marvel rivalry, but if I had to pick, it would be former of the two options.
I absolutely loved everything from Justice League to Teen Titans, so when DC finally announced that a Wonder Woman movie would be released in June of 2017, I was way more excited than I probably should've been. All I could think was, "It's about time."
And even now, I still don't shut up about how ecstatic and ready I am for this film.
Whenever I picture the most powerful and well-known superheroes of all time, there are three that automatically come to mind: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
It's not difficult to figure out which one of these iconic figures are not like the other two.
To this day, there are over 15 Batman and Superman movies, not including animated films. It wasn't until earlier this year that Wonder Woman had her first live-action theatrical appearance. Ever.
In Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice, when Gal Gadot first appeared onscreen as Wonder Woman, I instantly fell in love and constantly waited for the next scene where I would see her again.
She wasn't the sidekick or love interest or damsel in distress. She was the hero. Swooping in powerfully at the last minute to save both Superman and Batman.
This is a matter of opinion, but she absolutely stole the show.
So why did it take so long?
Could it be because she's a woman?
While the world has seen multiple female heroes on the big screen (i.g. Black Widow, Harley Quinn, Mystique), it only took the film industry about 75 years to finally give a female superhero her own solo movie.
Wonder Woman's first comic book appearance was in 1941, created by William Moulton Marston with the help of his wife, Elizabeth, who urged him to make this new superhero a woman.
Marston had envisioned something different from previous, more belligerent heroes. He wanted to create an honorable and honest character who embodied hope and compassion. He wanted a character who preferred peace instead of violence. Marston designed "Wonder Woman to be an allegory for the ideal love leader; the kind of women who should run society."
"Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world," Marston wrote.
And Wonder Woman is the epitome of all that.
As a matter of fact, World War II was occurring at the time and Marston dreamed of a hero who would represent America's position in the war: "a patriot motivated to shield the innocent."
If you look at Wonder Woman's armor and weapons, you'll realized that they are defensive as opposed to offensive, which is a perfect example of her fighting style. She's not doing it for the thrill or because she has a personal vendetta, but out of the goodness of her heart.
She's a lover, not a fighter...but she'll fight for the right cause if she has to. Which makes her the perfect role model for girls everywhere, especially the younger ones. I have absolutely nothing against male superheroes (seriously, I love them), but we need more female representation.
We need a feminist icon for girls to look up to. After all, it is in her very essence to crush the patriarchy with a Rosie the Riveter "We can do it!" mentality.
“Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, power,” Marston said in a 1943 magazine article. “Women’s strong qualities have become despised because of their weak ones. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.”
It's important to show that not only can boys save the world, but girls can too.
