Wonder Woman — aka Diana Prince, aka Diana, Princess of Themyscira — has super strength, dons bullet-deflecting bracelets, wields a lasso that compels people to tell the truth, and is quite literally a goddess. But those aren’t her greatest powers. As Patty Jenkins, the director of 2017 smash hit “Wonder Woman” and its upcoming sequel “Wonder Woman 1984,” sees it, love, compassion, kindness, and goodness are the keys to Diana’s heroism. And it’s no coincidence that those traits are, generally speaking, considered to be feminine.
Jenkins cites empathy as her “favorite thing” about Wonder Woman, who is portrayed by Gal Gadot. “Heroism involves keeping your love and compassion intact while you try to change the world. I love that about Wonder Woman and it was one of the things I felt the most passionate about being maintained, because it was something that I loved about her growing up,” she recalled, referencing the “Wonder Woman” comics. Diana is a hero because she’s dedicated to love and kindness, not in spite of it.
However, Wonder Woman’s heroism doesn’t dictate her entire identity: she’s a multi-faceted person. “She was an inspiration and no part of her made me feel that I couldn’t also be a woman, and also be a mother, and also be a wife or a girlfriend or a partner, ” Jenkins explained. “She’s a whole-bodied hero who stands for goodness, but also love and compassion and kindness. That’s where it was the most challenging — the world not thinking a female superhero could be powerful.”
Diana is undoubtedly powerful — she made it through No Man’s Land, after all — but that’s not where her character begins and ends. She’s also so guileless that it’s funny, and can be frustratingly stubborn. Yet none of these aspects about her negate her heroism or her bravery. Instead, they just make her recognizable and three-dimensional. She’s an Amazon, but she’s also a person.
“There’s been such fear that a female character…couldn’t be vulnerable and they couldn’t be funny and they couldn’t have love. There’s this list of things they can’t have, to prove [that they’re strong],” Jenkins observed. “I’m like, Well, that’s not a main character. You have to be able to have all these things. You can’t be afraid.”
“Wonder Woman 1984” hits theaters August 14. The Reagan era-set pic sees Diana taking on two new villains, Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), and reuniting with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Jenkins became history’s highest-paid female filmmaker with her “Wonder Woman 1984” paycheck. She’s previously spoken about feeling a particular responsibility to fight for fair pay for the project. “You’re of course aware of the money,” she said. “But I’ve never been more aware of a duty than I was in this deal. I was extremely aware that I had to make sure I was being paid what the male equivalent would be.”
“Wonder Woman” grossed over $821 million worldwide, and more than $412 million domestically. It is the top-earning film from a solo woman director at the domestic and international box office.
Jenkins won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature for Charlize Theron-starrer “Monster.” She received a DGA Award for helming the pilot for “The Killing.” “Arrested Development” and “I Am the Night” are among her other credits.
