Wonder Woman; the iconic heroine and figurehead for women in comic books. Part of an ancient race of warrior females given immortality by the Greek gods, Diana of Themyscira has powers and abilities beyond a man's wildest dreams which, coupled with a strong sense of ideals and looks worthy of a goddess, has caused her to stand the test of time and become one of the most iconic female figures in pop culture.
So why is it her presence in modern day media is so sparse?
Aside from Lynda Carter's show of the 70's, there have been NO live-action portrayals of the Amazon princess that do her justice, as the less said about the failed ABC network pilot the better.
Until now.
Gal Gadot, a name we are all sure to become all too familiar with (for better or for worse) over the coming years, was cast as Wonder Woman late last year. Whilst there were large amounts of both outrage and indifference on her casting, many questioned what her invention of the character might bring to our screens via the costume department.
There has been a long debate for as long as I can remember on CBM, arguing whether Wonder Woman's costume needs updating, whether it should stick to the original designs and/or whether her costume is too revealing and impractical for a cinematic portrayal.
To my mind, there seem to be two major opinions on the matter.
1. 'Wonder Woman's costume should stay true to her source material'
2. 'Wonder Woman's costume should be made more practical and modern'
But which one is right?
The first argument states that Wonder Woman's look should be true to source material, but this hinges on one factor…
What is regarded as the definitive source material?
Do we seek reference from Diana's classic Silver Age look:
Perhaps from more modern interpretations:
Or from more extreme 'practical' renditions:
Sadly, this is where it really boils down to: OPINION.
At the end of the day, all fans are going to hold different views about how their favorite characters should be portrayed. So let me offer up my ideas.
In regards to the Amazonian attire, for whilst agree Wonder Woman shouldn't be overly sexualised, I don't feel an overly armored look would justify her on screen. As much as she represents many values of feminism and equality, she is smoking hot.
This is where I refer back to my point about source material, for whilst there are endless depictions of Wonder Woman in comics around the planet, there is one element of her background that can provide concrete evidence: Greek culture and mythology. Being left isolated on an island from the Greek era, elements of clothing and armor are going to stay the same due to the absence of any outside interference.
Despite inaccurate depictions in modern films like '300', if WB/DC do their homework, they would find that the ancient greek battle armor for men would traditionally be along the lines of a breast and back plate, a helmet (often plumed), shin guards (greaves) and forearm bracers and sandals or boots, as well as a leather or clothen skirt (sometimes depicted as the bottom of their tunic), with additional equipment such as a sword, dagger and shield. The most relevant depiction of this armor can be found in the film 'Troy'.
In this fashion, it would not be too obscure to imagine that the Amazon's battle armor would be of a similar style, so I believe that Wonder Woman's on screen costume should fall mid-way between that of the traditional male armor and her comic depictions, as it would fill the necessary criteria of being historically accurate and practical, yet still retaining the classic themes and colors that make her costume so identifiable and iconic.
Thanks for reading guys, don't forget to comment with your own ideas and feedback!