Even though Patty Jenkins was the one helming Wonder Woman's first theatrical movie, DC fans have Zack Snyder to thank for introducing Gal Gadot's iteration of the Amazon princess in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Rounding out the DC Trinity, Wonder Woman hasn't had nearly as much screen time as the Man of Steel and Caped Crusader, but Snyder notes that it's her differences from her two closest allies that make her all the more important for the DC Extended Universe, especially when it comes to representation. Snyder explained:
She offers a unique opportunity to speak to what it is to be a strong, powerful, independent woman. It's a glance that is necessary in the world, as well as the way that we represent heroes on screen. Having that equal representation of male and female energy is really important to me. I love that there's a purity to Wonder Woman. She doesn't have the broken past, she's not seeking revenge on people that wronged her. She can just be a hero.
Zack Snyder was right on the money when he was describing Diana of Themyscira's appeal in the book Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film (via ScreenRant). While Superman and Batman are great heroes, their missions are driven by specific events from their pasts; Superman was sent to Earth so he could survive Krypton's destruction and use his abilities to inspire mankind, while Batman is determined to avenge the death of his parents by eliminating all crime. Wonder Woman, on the other hand, had about as regular a childhood one could have on Themyscira. She's not weighed down by tragedy (well, not at first), so her hero's journey starts simply because she wants to do good. Throw in that she's one of the few prominent female superheroes, and that makes it all the more important for her to be heavily featured in the DCEU.
Warning: SPOILERS for Wonder Woman are ahead!
The DCEU's Wonder Woman was brought in last year as a mysterious woman who Bruce Wayne met while investigating Lex Luthor, and she later jumped in at the right time to aid Batman and Superman with fighting Doomsday. This month, we finally learned how Diana became a hero in the Wonder Woman solo movie, which took place during World War I. She dealt with loss during her standalone tale, including her aunt Antiope and her love interest Steve Trevor tragically dying, but in the end, she emerged the hero she was destined to be. Back in the present day, Diana is back to aiding humanity, and she'll soon be working with other powerful individuals to keep the world safe.
You can see Wonder Woman's origin story unfold in theaters right now, and she'll return in Justice League on November 17.
