Panels of Awesome!

Joss Whedon deciding that he wouldn’t write the Wonder Woman movie that’s being released in 2009 (unfortunately) is some old news, but I came across this old interview of him when he was writing the movie script. At first when I heard about Joss Whedon not writing the script, I really didn’t care, but after digging up that interview, I’m now glad that he isn’t. And this is the reason why:

Well, I’ll tell you one thing that sort of exemplifies my feelings. The idea was always that she’s awesome, she’s fabulous, she’s strong, she’s beautiful, she’s well-intentioned, she thinks she’s a great big hero, and it’s Steve Trevor’s job to go, “You don’t understand human weakness, therefore you are not a hero, and you never will be until you’re as helpless as we are. Fight through that, and then I’ll be impressed. Until then, I’m just going to give you shit in a romantic-comedy kind of way.”

Being a big fan of Wonder Woman’s, I felt a huge wave of relief come over me. I love his work with Runaways and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But he just ain’t on the same level as other writers of Wonder Woman, who have portrayed her the way she is meant to be. Gathering from the interview, this is what I think Joss Whedon thinks who Wonder Woman is:

“She thinks she’s a big hero.”
Whoa, just hold it there. She certainly does not think like that. Anyone who has watched the 70s TV show of Wonder Woman will understand that Lynda Carter is perhaps the most iconic Wonder Woman on Earth. People that only knew of Wonder Woman would perhaps think of Lynda Carter as the “perfect” Wonder Woman. Sure, it was the 70s, which was full of cheesy action scenes, but Lynda Carter still got it right. Not only did she show Wonder Woman’s fun and powerful side, but also her human side. Lynda Carter said, “Wonder Woman is not impressed with herself. She doesn’t think her abilities are a big deal. She does what she’s capable of, and expects others to do the same” and I think writers, both from movies and comics, should take this heart and learn something from someone who knows Wonder Woman.

Steve Trevor as sidekick
I can’t believe Steve Trevor was being emphasised as a sidekick for Wonder Woman. Why Steve Trevor? I’m not saying he shouldn’t be in the movie, but there are so many characters out there who could be her sidekick, and could be doing a much better job than Steve Trevor. Let’s see, we’ve got Cassie and Helena Sandsmark, Donna Troy, the Kapatelis ladies, Wonder Woman’s mother, Artemis, and so much more.

Wonder Woman’s theme
She has a theme? Yeah, I guess you could say she a feminist icon, she fights for peace, she’s learning about Man’s World… Yeah, I guess. But why would you do that, when you can just have fun writing about her. So she’s on of the best warriors on Earth, and she carries some cool equipment around. Then, add a pinch of fun. And there you have it - a well written character. Wonder Woman doesn’t need to be given a treatment or anything, and the writers don’t need to be serious about a theme; this is the reason why Wonder Woman’s personality has been handled clumsily by many writers after William Moulton Marston. Makes me think if Gail Simone’s ever written a movie script…