Universal via Everett Collection / DC Comics
Despite hopes of a female-fronted Marvel film in the studio’s second or third phase of the franchise, it seems DC has trumped the Hollywood heavyweight in regard to a superheroine film. Many fans were convinced — or really hoped — Marvel would give Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow a film of her own (or at least, a team film with Black Widow and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye), but Warner Bros and DC have beat them out by signing on Gal Gadot for a Wonder Woman film.
The actress was cast as Wonder Woman in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film in December. At the time, many fans hoped the appearance of Wonder Woman in the movie would lead to her own standalone flick. Recently those hopes were confirmed as fact when it was reported that Gadot had been signed for three films: Batman vs. Superman, a Justice League movie, and her own movie.
Can you hear that? It’s the sound of comic book fans cheering for the first superheroine film since Marvel’s Elektra in 2005. It’s not surprising that it’s taken Hollywood so long to make another female-centric film given that both Elektra and the 2004 DC flick Catwoman were flops. However, these films were not the only failed superhero movies in the past decade.
Since both Marvel and DC have seen tremendous success in the past few years — Marvel even more so than DC — it seemed only a matter of time before one of the comic book studios announced a superheroine film. Even though the Wonder Woman movie doesn’t have a release date, since DC made the announcement it’s only a matter of time before Marvel makes a female-centric film as well.
