This weekend marked the release of Man of Steel, the sixth Superman movie to be released since Christopher Reeve donned that iconic costume in 1978. You read that right — SIX Superman films have managed to make it to the big screen, while Wonder Woman is still without a film of her own. What is perhaps even more infuriating is the fact that Man of Steel comes a mere seven years after the box office disappointment that was Superman Returns in 2006. It would appear that Superman is worth a cinematic second chance, while Wonder Woman is repeatedly denied any chance at all.
The inequality between male and female characters could not be any clearer, and it makes us crazy. But instead of going crazy, we decided to try and do something about it.
On April 15th, we released a research paper that outlined the history of Wonder Woman and her multiple failed attempts to reach the big screen. It was titled “Why No Wonder Woman?”, and it was accompanied by a Facebook discussion group and a petition to demand that Wonder Woman enjoy the same big screen attention as her male colleagues.
I invite you all to read the paper, like us on Facebook, and sign the petition, where our goal is 1000 signatures. However, more importantly, we are trying to create an online community of Wonder Woman fans to prove once and for all to the powers that be that there is an audience ready and eagerly awaiting a Wonder Woman film, and that we are tired of waiting.
As it stands now, Wonder Woman remains in limbo, and rumours have it that Warner Brothers is waiting on the success, or lack thereof, of Man of Steel before moving forward with any future projects that may feature Wonder Woman. Translation: Wonder Woman’s future is still being determined by means other than her own merits. Be crazy with us and take action!
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Jacki Zehner dedicates her resources toward the advancement of women and girls. As the President of The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, Jacki funds a variety of projects and organizations with a particular focus on women’s rights, women’s foundations, movement building and media.
