Right off the bat, Wonder Woman is separating itself from the rest of the comic book herd. The most obvious way it's doing this is the fact that a woman is headlining, but DC Films isn't planning to stop there. It's important to remember that Wonder Woman is still an origin story, perhaps the most tired aspect of the modern comic book film. While audiences will see how Diana rises from a warrior to full-on superhero, DC Films hopes to do it in such a way that the film is still unique and fresh, while introducing one of the most iconic heroes on the planet.
Charles Roven is a producer who's more than a little familiar with DC Comics. In addition to having produced The Dark Knight Trilogy, Roven has been a producer on almost every major film in the DCEU, from Man of Steel to the upcoming Justice League. Roven also provided his expertise on Wonder Woman, and he recently chatted with ComicBook about the what viewers can expect from the film. Wonder Woman will explain how Diana left Themyscira to eventually become the costumed heroine seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Roven was asked how they are keeping away from telling a formulaic origin story.
We're hoping honestly that you won't say that when you see any of these movies. Get powers, fight bad guys... It's a journey of discovery that's way more profound than just learning that she's got physical abilities that others don't have. It's about helping mankind and being a symbol of all the things you could accomplish without war.
At this point, moviegoers could recite the beats of an origin movie by heart; it's one of the most common types of stories in modern cinema. We've seen almost every major superhero origin play out on film (some of them twice!) by this point. I don't need another one; you don't need another one. DC Films seems to acknowledge this, and they are trying to address the issue by making the film more than just an origin. Sure, the familiar story beats will probably be present, but they are trying to more overtly play to the themes and message of the character. It's an approach they are also applying to Flash (whenever it comes out) and Aquaman, and I hope it works out.
The last big origin story was Doctor Strange and while I like that movie, that's about as by-the-book as it gets in terms of plot. If Wonder Woman can buck this increasingly boring trend, then all the more power to it. Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot. The film is expected to hit theaters on June 2, 2017.
