User blog comment:Jamie/Episode 8 - Wonder Woman/@comment-1895174-20140528221026

DISCUSSION TOPIC: What do you think it would take to get Wonder Woman a solo film?

First and foremost, DC and Warner Bros. need to get their **** together. I don't mind that there aren't as many movies about DC superheroes than there are about Marvel ones. Marvel had the luxury of licensing out their properties, and Warner Bros. has more to work with than just DC Comics. Marvel released 2 movies in 2013; Warner Bros. had 18. What I do mind is that they pretend the only properties that matter are Batman, Superman, and the Justice League. Even in their straight-to-DVD DCUOAM releases, where they are much more productive, are hugely focused on those three properties, with 17 of the 20 released movies under that brand being about them. Now that the Superman-centric Man of Steel franchise is being morphed into a Justice League franchise, it looks like WB is losing faith in solo adventures, too. And while I can't say anything about her ability as an actor, I can't see Gal Gadot holding down her own, solo Wonder Woman movie.

What chance does a solo Wonder Woman movie have in that environment? Next to none, I'd say.

But DC's own ineptitude regarding their movies isn't the only barrier in the way, however. Wonder Woman is a character almost everyone recognizes but very few know anything about. If you ask a random person to name any Wonder Woman villains, they probably won't know any. Ask them to name other supporting characters associated with her, and they might be able to come up with Batman and Superman. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know her alter egos of Diana or Diana Prince, either. I doubt regular comic book readers would fair much better, being able to pull out Hippolyta, Steve Trevor, Wonder Girl, Cheetah, and a couple Olympians, but little else. Wonder Woman also has a costume that various artists have tried and failed to modernize. Her ever-changing origins don't help matters, either.

Or maybe all of that could be used to mold a Wonder Woman movie instead of hold it back. I've recently been watching the old Lynda Carter TV series, and the impression I've gotten from that version of the character is that of an idealistic fish-out-of-water. She's uncomfortable in the modern world with all its cynicism, but holds true to the ideals the Amazons stand for. In other words, she's almost exactly like the MCU's Captain America. That wouldn't be a bad model for DC to base a Wonder Woman movie off of. No need to modernize her costume if the movie's set in the '40s. Having trouble finding a villain with name recognition? No villain is more well-known than Nazis, and look who just so happens to be one of Wonder Woman's first major enemies. They also have an interest in the occult/arcane, which is a natural lead-in for the heavier mythology elements.

And if DC really isn't confident in other characters getting their own solo movies, why not take advantage of Wonder Woman's weak rogues gallery by using Ares as an arc boss and making sequels a Brave and the Bold-style team up between Wonder Woman and another hero with limited potential for a movie. They could try and use connections to Classical mythology as natural connective tissue between the characters, but it doesn't have to be limited to that. Maybe Wonder Woman 2 involves Wonder Woman preventing a war between Atlantis and the surface world. And if that's successful, there's potential for an Aquaman spinoff, something just short of impossible right now. And they can do the same with Dr. Fate, Shazam Captain Marvel Shazam, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and almost any other hero who aren't Batman or Superman.

I've put far too much time into thinking about this.