10. Make her a serious badass. Wonder Woman is a “feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman,” said the character’s creator, William Moulton Marston. In other words, she’s not Ally McBeal or even Lynda Carter, who complained of being labeled a sex object when she starred in the popular ’70s Wonder Woman TV series. Neither predecessor is going to cut it when crafting a next-gen Amazon goddess.
9. Make her eternal. Above all else, Wonder Woman is an immortal, not a puny human. Giving her a day job as a corporate executive who moonlights as a vigilante, as Kelley proposes, could be part of the picture. But if it’s the whole picture, we’re looking at a comics fiasco on the level of the late ’60s Wonder Woman, who was stripped of her powers and turned into a mod with a boutique shop.
8. Create serious supervillains from the fringes of science and time. Actress Lynda Carter fought street punks and military enemies in the ’70s version of Wonder Woman. But the 21st century’s Wonder Woman needs a more ambitious, challenging workout. She shouldn’t be fighting flaccid wannabes who are doing time as god fodder.
7. Don’t pick a short, scrawny actress. Whoever plays Wonder Woman must be built like a warrior, but still hot enough to ensnare drooling fanboys, who can’t abide a female superhero who isn’t a sex object. Think Xena plus Alias, and you’re partly there. As Gina Torres, who starred in Firefly and Alias, infamously explained, “There are no skinny bitches in superhero land.” (Torres would be great for the role, by the way.)
6. Don’t skimp on the action. Whoever plays Wonder Woman should possess serious martial arts skills or be able to learn them. Wonder Woman is a pit fighter as well as a divine power, so the actress playing her should be able to sell the on-screen brawls. Check director Lauren Montgomery’s kick-ass action in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and the animated Wonder Woman film for further instruction.
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