Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most talked-about superhero castings in recent years. Since James Gunn officially announced a Wonder Woman film to be in development (written by Ana Nogueira), fans have understandably spent a good amount of time theorizing on the actresses that could take on the role of Diana Prince for DC Studios.
Now, however, enough time has passed where something important needs to be said: A lot of breath has been wasted in discussing these matters. Of course, every single actress that fans have proposed for the role is talented and more than capable of becoming Wonder Woman. With that said, regardless of their undeniable talent, talking about them as potential candidates for the role is, to put it plainly, pointless. "Why," you ask? Well...
The Perfect Wonder Woman Has Been Hiding Under Our Noses This Whole Time
You see, my dear, fellow nerds, the perfect (and I mean perfect) actress for Wonder Woman has been hiding right under our noses this whole time—because, as it turns out, she's been a major DC player all along. That actress, my dear friends, is... Melissa Benoist. That's right. That Melissa Benoist. The same actress who starred in six seasons of the Supergirl TV series as Kara Danvers herself
I was once one of you—lost, absorbed in the the thoughts and worries of who the right individual to embody Diana Prince was. Then, though, my eyes were opened when I looked at the art of Felipe Illa. The artist created concept drawings of different actresses as Wonder Woman. One of them happened to be of Melissa Benoist.
When I saw her face behind the hero's signature headband, something just clicked. "Of course!" I said, as I quickly realized the true magic that would be Melissa Benoist stepping into Wonder Woman's boots. Now, in all seriousness, I do sincerely believe Benoist would be an incredible Wonder Woman.
Embodying Wonder Woman
Regardless of the version the DCU goes with, there are certain personality traits that are closely associated with Wonder Woman. The first one is kindness, which, throughout her six-year tenure as Supergirl, Benoist showed herself to be masterfully capable of conveying. Much like David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, the actress exudes a kindness and warmth that makes her instantly likable—an ideal trait to have when portraying a superhero.
There's also the emotional gravitas that comes with the role, stemming from Diana's strong sense of responsibility and duty. Judging by past performances, Benoist would have no problem conveying that burdened aspect of the character. The actress hasn't often gotten the opportunity to showcase her dramatic work, but one specific scene from Supergirl instantly sold me on the heights Benoist is capable of reaching as a performer—Season 1, Episode 6, "Red Faced."
The episode features a moment where Supergirl gets to unleash all of her pent-up anger and despair into one powerful heat vision blast against Red Tornado. Folks, I am not exaggerating when I say the sequence is one of the single best-acted moments I have ever seen—not only in superhero media, but in entertainment overall. Of course, I understand the weight of that statement, but the raw emotional power displayed by Benoist is rarely seen on screen, and will likely leave you in awe as well.
Something that was somewhat common in the Arrowverse was actors holding back their acting abilities. There are a lot of scenes across the franchise in which it was clear an actor wanted to give it more, but seemed... almost embarrassed to do so. There was nothing of the sort with Benoist during the scene in question. At that point, it was just her and the scene, which accomplished two things: Firstly, it delivered a beautiful, seconds-long piece of storytelling; secondly, it exemplified what Benoist can do when given the right material.
For the most part, James Gunn is aiming for a younger cast of actors to bring the DC Universe to life. Given that, some might believe Benoist has aged out of the role. Fortunately, that is not the case whatsoever. The actress is only 37 years old, which makes her a mere four years older than David Corenswet. Gunn has previously stated there's a possibility for Batman to be slightly older than Superman, so a Wonder Woman who's a few years older than the Man of Steel would likely not be a problem.
Is Melissa Benoist an out-there casting for Wonder Woman? Perhaps, but only because she has already played a major DC character in a long-running TV series. For everything else, including acting abilities, looks and performing sensibilities... not at all. In fact, I fully believe that, if given the opportunity, Benoist could have the potential to deliver a memorable take on Wonder Woman. To get a better feel of her acting ability outside of Supergirl, I'd recommend watching her in Waco, HBO Max's The Girls on the Bus and Netflix's The Waterfront. All three shows feature her prominently, and showcase more of her range.
Now, realistically speaking, I'm fully aware that the chances of Benoist getting cast as Wonder Woman are slim to none. However, she is, truly, a great actress, and would be a genuinely exciting and out-of-the-box choice to play the hero.
What do you think about Melissa Benoist as Wonder Woman? Who's your pick for the character, and why is it Melissa Benoist, as well? Drop your thoughts in the comments!