In a new TV spot for Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman,” Diana Prince (Gal Godot), aka the titular Amazonian superheroine, finds herself in a classic film scene. She’s walking in a creepy alley with a male companion and a menacing stranger pulls out a gun. “Step back,” Steve (Chris Pine, “Star Trek”) tells Diana as he pushes her behind him, shielding her from the danger. It’s chivalrous but unnecessary. As the gun goes off, Diana quickly juts her arm out in front of Steve and uses her bullet-deflecting bracelets to save him.
“Or maybe not,” Steve deadpans.
That’s just one of the many ways “Wonder Woman” pushes back against accepted gender norms in this promo. Instead of gazing in (pun intended) wonder as Steve attempts to educate her about the world outside of Themyscira, Diana comments that London is hideous. She fights with the troops during WWII. When a man raises his hand to her, Diana stops his fist without blinking and throws him across the bar. And, best of all, when she gets her 20th century makeover, Diana rips her tight pencil skirt so she can kick ass easily and comfortably.
Most interesting is Diana’s nonchalant response when Steve asks about her father. “I have no father,” she explains, underwhelmed. “I was brought to life by Zeus.” Later she adds, “The gods made the Amazons to restore peace to the world. And it’s what I’m going to do.”
We don’t have to wait too much longer to see Diana fulfill her mission: “Wonder Woman” opens June 2.
