(At about 1 hour 9 minutes) The Chief's first words to Wonder Woman are: "Oki, niitaniiko Napi" in Blackfoot. This means "Hello, my name is Napi" in Blackfoot mythology. Napi is a creative and trickster being; he is known for being very clever and resourceful. The producers confirmed that the Chief is actually a god.
Steve's watch is a pocket watch adapted with a leather strap to be worn on the wrist. At the time, pocket watches were the norm (usually attached to a chain), but they proved impractical on the front lines. Because timing was critical for coordinating large-scale actions (such as combining infantry maneuvers with artillery fire), soldiers began wearing watches on their wrists. This fashion spread to civilians after the war, and pocket watches evolved into wristwatches, which became the preferred style of watch in the 20th century.
(At about the 43rd minute) The discussion on the boat about "the pleasures of the flesh" was improvised.
The scenes of Themyscira were shot on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. Production designer Aline Bonetto said the location was perfect: "Italy had beautiful weather, a beautiful blue-green sea, not too much tide, not too much wave."
(At about 3 minutes later) Some of the Amazons have a skin-colored fabric on one side of their chests, making it look almost as if one breast is exposed or missing (this is very noticeable in the opening scene when young Diana watches the training and Antiope comes over to speak with an Amazon dressed this way). This may be a nod to the fact that Amazons are often depicted in art with one breast exposed. Ancient sources even state that Amazons cut or burned off their breasts on their dominant side so that it would not hinder them in battle, especially in using the bow. Some ancient sources suggest this is the origin of their name; in Greek, "a-mazos" means "without breast."
General Erich Ludendorff was a real person and was ruthless; however, this was not more so than any high-ranking commander in the countries of World War I. As commander-in-chief of the German forces, he authorized the use of mustard gas, a corrosive substance that could literally melt tissue and cause temporary or permanent blindness, permanent lung damage, and an extremely painful death depending on exposure. With the armistice, Ludendorff later supported Adolf Hitler's failed coup, but he began to dislike Hitler long before the Nazis actually came to power.
Gal Gadot trained for nine months to gain seventeen kilograms of pure muscle, but this was not shown in the final film, and many fans felt she looked too thin to portray the character.
(At about the 55th minute) When Sir Patrick is first seen speaking at the Council, he spots Diana in the crowd and is shocked to see a woman in the so-called council chamber. On closer inspection, his expression is one of fear, as Ares recognizes the Godkiller sent to destroy him. He regains his composure and hides his fear by offering the other explanation.
In the comics, Steve Trevor and Diana met during World War II (1939-45). However, in the film they meet during World War I (1914-18). The change in world wars was made because the producers found that period more suitable. According to director Patty Jenkins: "World War I was the first time that we found the roots of civilization as we know it, but it's not actually something whose history we know. There are questions in this world about women's rights, about a mechanized war where you don't see who you're killing. It's a very interesting time."
In Greco-Roman mythology, the Amazons of Themyscira and the Greek hero Heracles share a rivalry because Heracles seduced Queen Hippolyta and stole her magic girdle. This carried over into both DC and Marvel comics. In DC Comics, Hercules (the Roman version of the Greek Heracles) is a misogynistic and villainous character punished by the Amazons for defiling them; he later became an anti-hero seeking redemption for his deeds. In Marvel comics, the situation was the opposite. Hercules was a superhero (and Thor's best friend), and Hippolyta and the Amazons were the villains. Hippolyta's daughter was named Artume and was a parallel to Wonder Woman.
Although Dr. Maru's scars are implied to have been caused by fire, the disfigurement on her face is more consistent with the effects of real mustard gas. The gas is corrosive and attacks mucous tissues such as the eyes, mouth, and nose, leaving permanent scars. Her mask is also based on real prostheses created to conceal facial injuries. Developed by the French and British after the war, these devices were made of tin, painted to match skin tone, fitted with real hair if needed, and adjusted to the patient's face with glasses or straps. These were the first aesthetic prostheses created to help wounded soldiers regain some normality in their lives.
(At about 56 minutes) In the comics, Wonder Woman took the alias Diana Prince from a U.S. Army nurse who looked very much like her and whose identity she purchased during World War II. In this film, while posing as Steve Trevor's secretary, Trevor interrupts her introduction of "I am Diana, Princess of…" and renames her "Prince. Diana Prince."
Diana's scenes in London are a tribute to Superman (1978), in which Superman first encounters city life: the hero disguises himself in formal glasses and clothing, stops a mugging, and has some trouble with a revolving door.
(Around 1 hour 25 minutes) Steve Trevor mockingly refers to Diana's island home of Themyscira as "Paradise Island." This was the island's original name in the early comics and in Wonder Woman (1975). In the 1980s, the island received its official Greek name, Themyscira, in stories featuring George Perez's updated and revamped Wonder Woman.
Director Patty Jenkins was initially in talks with Warner Bros. She decided to direct this film in 2005 but had to step down due to an unexpected pregnancy. Jenkins claimed that although she had only directed one low-budget drama in her career 14 years earlier and had no experience directing a big-budget action film, this was the film she wanted to make her whole life and that she was lucky to return to it.
(Around 1 hour 9 minutes) The actor who plays Chief, a Native Blackfoot named Eugene Brave Rock, did not know he was auditioning for a Wonder Woman film. Director Patty Jenkins asked him his views on stereotypes and explained that his character's name, "Chief," could not be changed due to obligations to DC Comics. Upon hearing the name DC Comics, he realized the part was for Wonder Woman. Jenkins then told him he would never have to be called "Chief" on screen and that if he could speak his own language, he could introduce himself and give himself a name in the film. He introduces himself as Napi, a Blackfoot creator and a clever trickster. He later said he was very proud to speak the Blackfoot tribe's language in a major motion picture and to say "Oki" to the world (loosely translated as "hello" but closer to a wish for a good life).
In this film, Wonder Woman's tiara is a keepsake from Antiope. In both the comics and Wonder Woman (1975), it can be used as a weapon, as Diana does in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).
Director Patty Jenkins is a big fan of Wonder Woman (1975) and wanted Lynda Carter, who played Diana in that series, to have a small role in this film. Unfortunately, Carter was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts with her cabaret shows. Lyle Wagoner, who played Steve Trevor in the series, also could not join this film production because he was attending a cast reunion for Carol Burnett's variety show at the time. Carter would eventually have a small cameo role as Asteria in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).
Every design decision for Themyscira depended on the wishes of director Patty Jenkins and designer Lindy Hemming. "How would women want to live that's badass?" Hemming prepared a look that would show the Amazons' torn shoulders and toned legs, emphasized with wrist supports and heeled sandals, because Jenkins explained: "As a woman, I want Wonder Woman to both fight and look great at the same time. To me, that means she has really long legs."
(Around 2 hours) For the scene where Steve blows up the plane, director Patty Jenkins insisted that the cockpit set be built on a gimbal to mimic the plane's movement. Although no part of this movement is visible on camera, she wanted Chris Pine to feel the plane's tilt as his character begins to ascend because she thought it would benefit his performance.
(Around 1 hour 12 minutes) The No Man's Land scene initially caused confusion for some people on the film's creative team. They thought it was an action scene and did not understand how it could work without Diana fighting the villain. Patty Jenkins insisted that the scene was a very important and dramatic moment, underlining Diana's self-affirmation and determination.
This is the first female-led superhero film in twelve years, since Marvel Studios' Elektra (2005). This is not the first film based on a DC property (that honor belongs to Supergirl (1984)), and the DCEU also beat the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in producing the first female-centered superhero film; Marvel did not achieve this until Black Widow (2021).
The role of Queen Hippolyta was offered to Nicole Kidman, but she accepted the role. She wanted to be part of the film because of Patty Jenkins, but scheduling conflicts with Big Little Lies (2017) prevented this. Kidman would later play Queen Atlanna, the mother of Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Wonder Woman's ally), in Aquaman (2018).
(Around 2 hours 5 minutes) Near the end of the film, when Diana returns to London, she looks at images of dead soldiers (including Steve Trevor) that are implied to be portraits of real-life war poets: Britain's Captain Siegfried Sassoon, Second Lieutenant Wilfred Owen, Canada's Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, and America's Sergeant Joyce Kilmer (author of "a poem as lovely as a tree") (even though Sassoon did not die in the war and, unlike the others, lived to the age of 80).
(Around 29 minutes) Chris Pine wore a Speedo for his nude scene, which was later digitally removed.
(Around 1 hour 6 minutes) The scene where Diana eats ice cream for the first time and praises the vendor is an event from the "New 52" DC Comics (2011), also adapted from Justice League: War (2014).
Patty Jenkins states that the work of "Wonder Woman" creator William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman's first stories, in which Steve is rescued from the Germans) and George Pérez (Greek gods who affect the world) were influential on the film.
This film was part of the setup for Justice League (2017) and was intended as the first entry in a planned Wonder Woman trilogy, along with an Amazons spin-off film. The sequel (Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)) was eventually made, and another film was greenlit in 2020, but when the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) was ended in 2023, both the third film and the spin-off were cancelled. Although there are still plans to make a third WW film within the new DC Universe (DCU), those plans were shelved because none of the 'Snyderverse' actors (including Gal Gadot) will reprise their roles from this film in the DCU.
(Around the 1-hour mark) The con Sameer runs at the bar bears some similarities to the notorious "Nigerian Prince" scam spread over the Internet. He claims to come from an African country and describes his fortune in exaggerated terms, offering a fake deal in which the mark receives a share of his wealth in exchange for a small fee to help him get it out of the country. Known as an advance-fee scam, this type of fraud has existed in various forms since the 18th century.
In the framing story, Diana wears a red turtleneck sweater and a ponytail. This closely resembles Diana's civilian outfits in the second and third seasons of Wonder Woman (1975).
This film features Diana Prince, the original Wonder Woman, as well as Artemis and Orana, who briefly held the Wonder Woman title in the comics. The actresses who play them — Gal Gadot, Ann Wolfe and Mayling Ng — had all trained in martial arts.
This film had been in development since 1996, when Ivan Reitman was hired to write and direct it. In January 2001, Silver Pictures approached Todd Alcott to write a Wonder Woman screenplay. In August 2003, he was replaced by Laeta Kalogridis. Then, in March 2005, Joss Whedon was hired not only to write the film but also to direct it, but he left in February 2007 due to creative differences. On 24 November 2014, Michelle MacLaren was confirmed as director, but she left the film on 13 March 2015 due to creative differences.
The producer has a miniature of himself as a combat soldier.
Ann Wolfe, considered the best fighter in women's boxing, was cast as Artemis in the film because, according to Patty Jenkins, "Who else should be one of the greatest warrior Amazons, but the best female boxer?"
In the comics, Ares stopped his plan to kill everyone because Wonder Woman pointed out that it would destroy himself: having no humans left to fight meant there would be no war, and Ares would no longer exist either. In the film, he is a more vengeful and jealous character who plans a future beyond destruction.
(Around the 29th minute) Patty Jenkins said the reason for Chris Pine's nude scene was to call back to the many films featuring female frontal nudity. Apparently that idea was left to Pine, who appears fully nude the following year in Outlaw King (2018).
This is the first live-action film directed by a woman with a budget of more than 100 million dollars. The film's estimated budget was 150 million dollars.
This is the first film for which Gal Gadot received the highest award of her acting career.
The gala guest whose dress Diana steals is credited as Fausta Grables, the Swiss Nazi villain from the "Wonder Woman" comics who was played by Lynda Day George in Fausta, the Nazi Wonder Woman (1976).
(Around the 57th minute) Diana is introduced as Captain Steve Trevor's secretary in First World War England. This is a tribute to the first season of Wonder Woman (1975), in which she served as a office officer (United States Navy Yeoman, Petty Officer, first class) to US Army Major Steve Trevor during the Second World War.
(Around the 19th minute) The big fight on the beach was shot over two weeks with the participation of two film units and six cameras. The shots in the scene consisted of digital composites of two separate locations: one with white cliffs in the background, the other with a beach large enough to accommodate the action. Cinematographer Matthew Jensen said that, besides shooting such a complex visual sequence with so many cameras, actors and stunt performers, the biggest challenge was keeping the lighting consistent across two weeks of changing weather conditions.
Cate Blanchett was offered a role but turned it down. She would go on to play Hela in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Ticket sales site Fandango reported that, in its largest survey in company history with 10,000 respondents, this film completed the final leg of its marketing campaign as the most anticipated blockbuster of the summer of 2017. Separately, Fandango said that 92% of those surveyed were looking forward to seeing a film featuring a standalone female superhero and that 87% wished Hollywood would make more superhero films with female leads.
In this film, Diana always wears her Amazon outfit underneath her other clothes. There is no transformation scene in this production.
Patty Jenkins admitted that at first she did not think Gal Gadot would suit Wonder Woman very well, but that after becoming interested in her she thought she was perfect for the role.
Steve flies from Turkey to Themyscira in a short-range aircraft, suggesting the island is in the eastern Mediterranean. In most comics, Themyscira is somewhere in the Atlantic.
Cobie Smulders was briefly considered for the role of Wonder Woman. Smulders went on to voice the character in The Lego Movie (2014) and also appeared as Agent Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
(About 50 minutes) In this film, Diana briefly wears glasses as a disguise, but Etta Candy points out how ineffective they are, and they are broken shortly afterward in a street fight scene. This is a nod to Wonder Woman (1975), whose first season had Diana wearing glasses in her civilian guise, similar to Superman's Clark Kent.
Throughout this film, no one ever addresses Diana as "Wonder Woman."
After its opening weekend, this film surpassed War Horse (2011) to become the highest-grossing film about World War I, and the first to earn over $100 million domestically.
The World War I scenes were shot at Upper Heyford air base in Bicester, England.
(About 1 hour 11 minutes) The horse-whipping scene in the film was shot after principal photography was completed. Director Patty Jenkins felt the scenes of Diana approaching the war front lacked tension, so she added the scene in which Diana witnesses brutality.
The producers cite the superhero films Superman (1978) and Batman Begins (2005), the retro Indiana Jones adventure films, the wartime film Casablanca (1942) and the Disney adventure film The Little Mermaid (1989) as inspirations.
As of 2024, with a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this is the most critically acclaimed DCEU film. The next highest-rated, Shazam! (2019) and The Suicide Squad (2021), each stand at 90%. Wonder Woman also became the second most critically acclaimed DC film overall after Superman (1978) and The Dark Knight (2008), each with a 94% rating.
Ares uses several forms based on his various incarnations in DC comics: * In his godly form he has a blue cape and a Roman helmet that conceals his face, his classic design in the comics. * He takes human form to adapt to modern times (in the DC Comics event Crisis After the Infinite Earths). * His final form wears Roman armor, based on his appearance in George Pérez's "Wonder Woman" comics (1987-92). * His true form, based on his appearance in the "New 52" DC comics (2011), is a cynical character who tries to teach Diana about the world's moral grayness.
Elena Anaya plays Dr. Maru, a woman hidden behind a plastic prosthesis. Anaya's casting is a tribute to her performance wearing a face mask in Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In (2011). Patty Jenkins is a big fan of Almodóvar.
Liam Hemsworth and Alexander Skarsgård were considered for the role of Steve Trevor. Liam Hemsworth's brother Chris Hemsworth and Alexander Skarsgård's father Stellan Skarsgård are part of Marvel's "Thor" films.
The end title sequence includes a dedication to Patty Jenkins's father, William T. Jenkins. Jenkins was a former Air Force captain and fighter pilot, like Steve Trevor.
Gal Gadot (Diana) and Emily Carey (young Diana) share the same birthday, April 30.
This is the first feature in which Wonder Woman does not wear earrings. Wonder Woman (1975) wore red circular earrings throughout the live-action series and in Hanna-Barbera's long-running animated series Super Friends (1973), but wore white star earrings in Cartoon Network's series Justice League (2001). In the early comics, the earrings were said to provide the ability to breathe in any environment, including space, but this idea was abandoned as Wonder Woman's abilities increased.
(About 2 hours 5 minutes) Although Diana cannot fly in the film, she is implied to be able to hover in the air after the final battle with Ares. The slow-descent shot looks like slow motion, but on closer inspection her hair rippling against the wind shows that the sequence is at normal speed.
Grossing over $103.3 million from 4,165 theaters, this film had the highest opening in the US for a female director. The previous record belonged to Sam Taylor-Johnson, director of Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).
(About 2 hours 5 minutes) The photograph of Steve Trevor taken at the memorial ceremony in London after the war ends is based on a photograph of Eddie Rickenbacker, an American fighter in World War I. They used the same squadron logo, the 94th Aero Squadron's "hat in the ring" code and aircraft number (5), but Rickenbacker's photographs show him leaning against the plane rather than with his back to it.
In modern times, Diana works at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. In the comics she briefly served at the Gateway Museum in California.
The film's end title sequence includes thanks to people who made significant contributions to Wonder Woman over the years. Among them are "Wonder Woman" comic book writers William Moulton Marston, George Perez, Jim Lee and Cliff Chiang, and Lynda Carter.
Over the years, Kate Beckinsale, Sandra Bullock, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Eva Green, Christina Hendricks, Kristen Stewart, Olga Kurylenko and Elodie Yung were considered to play the role of Wonder Woman.
Filmmaker James Cameron, known for his films featuring strong female action heroes, drew the ire of many Wonder Woman fans by claiming that while the film was good, it was not particularly groundbreaking and that it even took a step backward by sexualizing its main character to appeal to young boys. He elaborated by saying that putting a shaped model (Gal Gadot) into a tight, form-fitting costume had already been done in the 1960s, for example with Raquel Welch in films like The Magic Christian (1969). Director Patty Jenkins responded by stating that what Wonder Woman looks like should not make any difference; being strong is not the privilege of hard, tough and troubled women, so she also has the right to be beautiful, attractive and strong at the same time. Cameron stuck to his position, noting that he deliberately desexualized the character of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Aliens (1986) to focus on their personalities rather than their looks, but admitted that his initial reaction was "probably a little bit simplistic".
In 2005, Angelina Jolie was offered the chance to star, but she turned it down. In 2015, she was considered to direct it.
There are parallels with Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) in several respects: * Both films are set during a World War. * An enhanced German officer serves a greater enemy in both films (although in this film Ludendorff is a pawn). * A character named "Steve," played by an actor named Chris, dies in an apparent plane crash/explosion at the climax of both films (Chris Pine's Steve Trevor, Chris Evans's Steve Rogers).
(Around 18 minutes) When Diana saves Steve from drowning, Steve wakes up and says "Wow," an American English slang term in use since the early twentieth century. This explains why Diana addresses him in English for the first time, even though he is dressed like a German pilot.
The DC Films intro begins with this film and will thereafter appear at the start of subsequent DCEU films. It includes characters who have made or will make their first appearances, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Lex Luthor in a Battle Armor, Joker, Black Adam, Ocean Master and Deathstroke, as well as Mera, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Enchantress and Captain Boomerang. Other characters easily noticeable in the intro are Green Arrow, Supergirl, Firestorm, Black Lightning, Darkseid, Martian Manhunter, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, Catwoman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Mr. Freeze, Shazam (and Billy Batson), Solomon Grundy, Espectre, Swamp Thing, Kilowog, Mogo, Sinestro, Jessica Cruz, Atrocitus, Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
In the epilogue, the drawing of the device Etta tries to save is a Mother Box. This will become important in Justice League (2017).
Contrary to public opinion and urban legends, Wonder Woman was not actually the first female superhero. The first known female superhero is writer-artist Fletcher Hanks's minor character Fantomah; today she is an ageless, ancient Egyptian woman who can transform into a skull-faced creature with superpowers to fight evil; she debuted in Fiction House's Jungle Comics #2 (February 1940). This character was a minor one and essentially a one-off. She disappeared shortly after her debut and was never heard from again. She did not have the same sensational public response as Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman was introduced in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941), during what comic book historians know as the "Golden Age of Comic Books." After this debut, which received a huge response from the public, she appeared in Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942) and six months later in her own comic book series (Summer 1942). That is why we remember Wonder Woman, not Fantomah.
Four actresses had previously been considered for other DC roles: * Robin Wright for the role of Chase Meridian in Batman Forever (1995). * Chris Pine for the role of Green Lantern in Green Lantern (2011) and for the role of The Flash in the first version of The Flash (2023). * Gal Gadot for the role of Faora in Man of Steel (2013). * Connie Nielsen for the role of Lara Lor-Van in Man of Steel (2013).
The character of Etta Candy, Diana's best friend and heroic partner, was part of the original Wonder Woman comics created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter. Although she was almost always depicted as plump, she has been reimagined several times. In this film, she resembles her earliest original version in appearance (though changed from American to British), while the character's more recent comic book version is an African-American.
(Around 1 hour 50 minutes) Toward the end of the film, Diana discovers that her mother, the Amazon Queen Hippolyta, hid from her the fact that the god Zeus is her real father (a plot concept derived from the character's New 52 version), making Ares her half-brother. However, in Classical Greek mythology (the origin of the Amazons and the gods Zeus and Ares), Hippolyta was the daughter of Ares and therefore the granddaughter of Zeus.
In the comics, Wonder Woman/Diana is of Scythian nationality. Gal Gadot, who plays her, was born in Israel and is of European Jewish descent.
Gal Gadot worked on the character for six months before filming.
Eva Green was considered for the role of Wonder Woman and later for the role of Dr. Maru.
(Around 2 o'clock) Ares orders Wonder Woman to kill Dr. Maru, but she refuses, and he turns his back on her in disappointment. This event happened in the "New 52" DC comics, but with the Minotaur.
(At about the 43rd minute) Diana mentions Clio's studies. In Greek mythology, Cleo is the Goddess of Writing. But Clio is the Muse of History.
With a gross of over $410 million, it was the highest-grossing film of the summer of 2017 in North America; it was the first time a live-action film with a female lead had led in summer ticket revenue since revenues began being tracked regularly in the 1970s.
Like her co-stars Ben Affleck and Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot is the third DC character to appear in two films released the same year: this film and Justice League (2017).
The Blu-ray version includes a number of bonus features, including a 20-minute segment at the beginning of the film showing various women who trained for months for the Amazon battle scenes - one is a professional boxer with various titles under her belt, another an Olympic athlete, several professional martial artists, and another is Doutzen Kroes, a Dutch supermodel who appeared in Victoria's Secret - you can see her in the hall when Diana insists that someone accompany Trevor back to the battle.
This film is the first live-action depiction of Diana's childhood. All previous live-action versions showed her only as an adult.
This film is the fourth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), with the first being Man of Steel (2013), the second Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and the third Suicide Squad (2016).
It is the first feature film Patty Jenkins has directed since Monster (2003).
Nicolas Winding Refn was interested in directing the film and insisted on Christina Hendricks for Wonder Woman.
Because Gal Gadot is Israeli and a former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, the film's screening was temporarily banned in Tunisia.
This is the third comic book film with a female director, after Tank Girl (1995) and Punisher: War Zone (2008).
Director Patty Jenkins and executive producer Geoff Johns rewrote much of Allan Heinberg's screenplay. To producer Charles Roven's dismay, the two did not immediately receive writing credit because they were denied by a Writers Guild arbitration ruling. Going even further, Zack Snyder, Heinberg and Jason Fuchs were credited for the story despite having contributed very little to the final screenplay. Roven also added that Heinberg could have collaborated with Jenkins and Johns, but his commitment to a television project prevented him from continuing.
In addition to moving the setting from World War II America to World War I Europe, the film takes many liberties with the original origin story: * Themyscira had no protective bubble and was not discovered by humans until Steve crash-landed there when his plane ran out of fuel while chasing a Nazi * The Amazons had weapons * The Amazons were created by Aphrodite after Ares mocked her with the success of his plan to keep the World of Men in constant war * Diana became "Wonder Woman" after defeating the other Amazons in a tournament arranged by Hippolyta, and on the advice of Aphrodite and Athena, to earn the right to accompany Steve to the World of Men, Hippolyta gives Diana the name "Diana" after the tournament. * Diana, having fallen in love with Steve, surrenders her legacy and immortality to bring Steve back to the World of Men.
This film marks the third on-screen appearance of the character Etta Candy, after Wonder Woman (1975) (first season) and Wonder Woman (2009).
Zack Snyder's original concept for the film involved Wonder Woman pursuing Ares through centuries of historical conflict, resulting in her encounter with Steve Trevor during the Crimean War in 1854. Snyder commissioned Stephen Berkman to photograph Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman alongside soldiers of the period; this was to be the photograph Bruce Wayne discovers in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Screenwriter Jason Fuchs added: "There was a great encounter between Diana and Florence Nightingale just before Diana joined the Charge of the Light Brigade." Patty Jenkins later reworked the idea, changing the Crimean War setting to World War I. Snyder posted Berkman's original photograph on Twitter in 2021.
(At about 1 minute) The license plate of the Wayne Enterprises armored van begins with the letters "JL," a possible reference to the Justice League.
It takes seventy-one minutes for Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to appear in her iconic (and updated) costume.
The first DC film not to feature Batman or Superman since Green Lantern (2011). However, in the frame story, Diana writes a letter to Batman.
Director Patty Jenkins shares a birthday with original Wonder Woman (1975) actress Lynda Carter: July 24.
(At about 1 hour 50 minutes) Ares using the Lasso of Truth without suffering and saying that war and truth are the same comes from the "Warkiller" story.
A large part of the film's plot is derived from the first story George Perez used when he revamped the Wonder Woman comics in 1987, in which Steve Trevor breaches the protective barriers and ends up on Themyscira and Wonder Woman is secretly sent to the world of men to deal with Ares, who is encouraging conflict.
Artemis uses an axe in her battle with the Germans. In the DC comics, Artemis used an axe while serving in the Outlaws superhero group.
The German boats at the beginning of the film are named Schwaben, indicating they are from a ship by that name (Schwaben is the German name for Swabia). There was a real German warship by that name; however, it spent the entire war in the Baltic Sea and on training duties.
The film's main posters have a specific color theme. They are either blue, orange (yellowish) or red. Blue symbolizes the island of Themyscira, orange the use of mustard gas in the village Diana saves, and red the battle against Ares at the film's climax, which features intense fire.
Dr. Maru is referred to by the name of the comic book titled "Doctor Poison," written by Steve Trevor.
It is the sixteenth superhero film to earn $100 million in domestic ticket revenue on its opening weekend.
The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, held two special women-only screenings of the film. They took place on June 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Some places offer hints about Diana's divine heritage: * In the tower where the God Killer is kept, a bull appears in the cliff behind Diana. In Greek mythology, Zeus often takes the form of a bull. * A great fight breaks out over Diana in a church in the Belgian village of Veld. * Diana is seen working at the Louvre Museum in Paris in modern times. According to a popular conspiracy theory spread in part by Dan Brown's conspiracy novel "The Da Vinci Code," the Louvre is the resting place of at least one member of Jesus's human family.
Gal Gadot was five months pregnant with her second child during the film's reshoots. This did not stop her from doing her own stunts, but she had to wear a green cloth over her baby bump to make CGI easier.
Colonel Darnell comes from the "Wonder Woman" comics.
There is a meme going around (Facebook, 2020) saying that Wonder Woman, being an Amazon, could reach London from her distant island in a single day and therefore qualified for shipping the next day… silly and cute, and one way to explain this plot point.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in December 2019, actress Olga Kurylenko revealed that she was one of three actresses, including Gal Gadot, who made it to the final round of auditions for the role of Wonder Woman, which ultimately went to Gadot. Kurylenko said she had to read lines during the audition wearing a swimsuit and leather boots. Ironically, she added that Gadot also auditioned for the role of Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace (2008), which ultimately went to Kurylenko.
This is the first live-action appearance of the Wonder Woman/DC Comics characters Antiope, Menalippe, Ares and Dr. Maru/"Doctor Poison."
The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Catherine Hardwicke, Mimi Leder, Karyn Kusama, Julie Taymor and Tricia Brock. Michelle MacLaren initially accepted the job but had to turn it down.
The television advertising costs for this film were higher compared to the previous DCEU film, Suicide Squad (2016). Warner Bros. spent over $3 million on ads for this film, while they spent $2.6 million on ads for Suicide Squad.
(About 1 hour 55 minutes) When Steve gives Diana his watch, it shows about three minutes to 10:00. Returning to the present day, at the Louvre, while Diana looks at the watch and the original plate of the photograph from Veld, she says that the watch stopped when Steve blew up his plane and killed himself in the explosion, about 10 minutes after 10:00. This trivia is supported in the film's novelization.
The gas Ludendorff uses may be a variant of Miraclo, the drug that gives Hourman his powers.
This is the first live-action solo theatrical film for the Amazon character. Warner Bros. began developing the film in 1996, but no actor officially stepped into the role until 2013.
Dr. Maru (Doctor Poison) is seen in her laboratory in a green coat and comical costume; she also has large goggles that can serve as a mask for her, a reference to her wearing a mask in the comics.
Ares in this film is based on the evil god of war from DC Comics, but he is also based on the First Born, Zeus's banished and angry son who tries to destroy everything. Ares also embodies the traits of his daughter Eris (goddess of strife and chaos), the First Born (Zeus's banished and angry son who tries to destroy everything), and his subordinates consisting of three aristocrats who drive people to wage war (the Duke of Deception, the Earl of Greed and the Count of Conquest).
Ares hides under the alias Sir Patrick. Patrick's name comes from the Roman term "patricius" ("nobleman"), a name fitting for a Greco-Roman member of a divine ruling class.
Lucy Lawless expressed interest in playing Wonder Woman in the early 2000s and eventually voiced her in the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier (2008).
Chris Pine took care to get into great shape for the film, especially because of his nude scene. The rest of the time he was covered in heavy winter clothing from World War I.
In Patty Jenkins' original ending, Diana and Ares did not fight. Ares would simply explain "I did nothing," and Diana would remain undefeated because she would have to confront the good and evil that make up the human race. However, Warner Bros. wanted a more explosive climax and added a new ending to Jenkins' film; Jenkins admitted she is still conflicted about it.
It earned the third-biggest opening for a DC Comics film in IMAX theaters, grossing 18.3 million dollars worldwide and 9 million dollars domestically.
Psychologist, writer and inventor William Moulton Marston was an outspoken polyamorist and believed in the superiority of women. He was also a fan of comic books but felt the medium was not living up to its potential. He wanted to create his own superhero who fought with love rather than violence, and his wife Elizabeth, also a psychologist, said the hero should be a woman. Originally named "Suprema, the Wonder Woman," Wonder Woman was inspired by unconventional, free women of the time such as birth control activist Margaret Sanger. The character's appearance and signature bracelets were taken from Olive Byrne, Sanger's niece, who lived in a polyamorous relationship with the Marstons. Marston conceived of Wonder Woman as a symbol of female power in a male-dominated environment and explained: "A male hero is, at best, lacking in the qualities of mother love and tenderness that are as necessary to a normal child as the breath of life… tenderness, love, tenderness and attractiveness are feminized only according to masculine rules… as long as our feminine archetype lacks strength, power and force, even girls do not want to be girls… The obvious remedy for women's strong qualities being despised because of their weaknesses is to create a feminine character who has all the charm of a good and beautiful woman in addition to all the power of Superman." Wonder Woman made her debut in All-Star Comics #8 (December 1941).
It was the number one opening film in China with a gross of 38 million dollars.
The film takes elements from the first Wonder Woman comic book story: * Steve Trevor crashes a plane on Themyscira and Diana accompanies him to the outside world. * "Doctor Poison" leads a German research unit to release gas on the Allies. The one major change is in the setting: the comic book takes place in 1941, during World War II, while this film is set during World War I.
In the film, Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff die in 1918. In real history, Hindenburg lived until 1934 and was in fact influential in Adolf Hitler's rise, while Ludendorff died in 1937, so it would not be wrong to say this film takes place in an alternate history. This becomes even clearer in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), which introduces historical events that alter the timeline even further.
The final battle with Ares was a studio decision that Patty Jenkins opposed on the grounds that it was too formulaic.
All the Amazons received the same training that the cast of 300 (2006) went through. Getting them all into shape took four months.
In the Wonder Woman comics, the bracelets had a purpose. When the Amazons were enslaved by the Greeks and rebelled, Zeus ordered the Amazons to wear bracelets to remind women of their enslavement. The bracelets have no real power, but they were made of a metal that could deflect bullets or prevent a sword from cutting off an arm. If an Amazon forcibly removed the bracers, they would lose all reason and go mad until the bracers were put back on their arms. As stated in the film, Zeus found them an island where they could hide and made them immortal except for dying from wounds. The Amazons became an elite fighting force with special powers.
Wonder Woman (1975) star Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot both took part in pageants. Carter was in Miss America and Gadot was in Miss Universe.
Director Patty Jenkins offered Charlize Theron a role in the film, but she had to turn it down. Theron won the Best Actress Oscar for her work in Jenkins' directorial debut Monster (2003).
Robin Wright agreed to play Antiope during a three-minute phone call with Patty Jenkins.
The old photograph from 1917 at the center of the film was shot on the 70th day of production.
Gal Gadot was paid a base salary of 300,000 dollars for the film.
This is Danny Huston's third comic book film (after 30 Days of Night (2007) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)) and the second for Florence Kasumba (after Captain America: Civil War (2016)) and Samantha Win (after Man of Steel (2013)).
Lilly Aspell's (Young Diana) debut.
Danny Huston plays an evil World War I general who supports the use of disfiguring mustard gas, which caused World War I veterans to need painted tin face prosthetics to cover their wounds when they returned from the war. Danny Huston's nephew Jack Huston played a disfigured World War I veteran with a tin face prosthetic in Boardwalk Empire (2010).
Patty Jenkins had no say in Gal Gadot's casting because it was a decision Zack Snyder had already made for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Jenkins was hired to direct Wonder Woman while the film was in production. Her prior doubts that Gadot was anything more than a model quickly disappeared when she saw the big action scene at the end of Snyder's film and realized Gadot was truly perfect for the role.
(About 2 hours 5 minutes) At the end of the film, as Diana looks at the photograph of Steve Trevor leaning against the plane, there is a red, white and blue roundel on the side of the aircraft. This indicated that Steve was a member of the American 96th Aero Squadron, commanded by World War I flying ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.
Gloria Steinem grew up reading Wonder Woman comics. In the early 1970s, she and many feminists were horrified when DC Comics stripped the hero of her costume and powers. In protest, she put a costumed Wonder Woman on the cover of the first issue of "Ms." magazine, which persuaded DC to restore Wonder Woman's costume and powers in issue 204 (February 1973).
(About 6 minutes) In Hippolyta's story about the gods, Poseidon is seen wielding a trident. It is the same weapon Aquaman uses in the DC Universe films.
This is the third time Danny Huston (Ludendorff) has appeared in a film featuring figures from Greek mythology. He played the god Poseidon in both Clash of the Titans (2010) and Wrath of the Titans (2012).
The first superhero film to gross more than $100 million domestically.
This is the first live-action portrayal of Wonder Woman to receive a PG-13 rating.
When the armistice was signed in 1918, the real Erich Ludendorff was about 53 years old. Danny Huston was also about 53 when he played Ludendorff.
The film, about a superhero inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, is produced by Atlas Entertainment. Atlas is the name of the giant who carried the world on his shoulders in Greek mythology.
Patty Jenkins became the first woman to direct a DC film, thereby surpassing Marvel Studios, which had no female co-director until Anna Boden (for Captain Marvel (2019), shared with Ryan Fleck) and no female solo director until Cate Shortland (for Black Widow (2021)). Ironically, Jenkins had originally been hired to direct Thor: The Dark World (2013), but left the production due to "creative differences."
The film was shot under the working title "Nightingale."
In Justice League (vol. 2) #13, Batman calls Wonder Woman "the best melee fighter in the world."
It grossed over $1 million domestically every day for 45 consecutive days, the highest such run of any DC film, tying Batman (1989).
This is only the second time veteran costume designer Lindy Hemming has worked with a female director.
Production designer Aline Bonetto and location manager Charlie Somers visited 47 different countries to find the perfect location for Themyscira. They eventually settled on a stretch of the Italian coastline.
The first film directed by a woman to gross more than $100 million domestically in its opening weekend.
The first Wonder Woman film, Wonder Woman (1974), featured Ricardo Montalban as the villain. Montalban also played Khan in Space Seed (1967) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Chris Pine, who plays Steve Trevor in this film, played Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
The film grossed $413 million domestically from a $103 million opening weekend, a ratio of 4.0, making it the "leggiest" superhero film to open with $100 million or more. The previous record holder was Spider-Man (2002), which grossed $404 million domestically from a $115 million opening weekend, a ratio of 3.5.
(About 1 hour 40 minutes) The scene in which Steve Trevor finds the motorcycle resembles scenes in two other Chris Pine films: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) was initially greenlit, Alexandra Daddario quickly became fans' number one choice to play Wonder Woman. After Gal Gadot was cast, many fans were disappointed and wanted to know why Daddario, who they thought was far better suited to the role than Gadot, had been passed over in her favor. Zack Snyder, who cast Gadot in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), made no statement about why he chose her over other actresses. Olga Kurylenko, Elodie Yung and Jaimie Alexander were also considered, but Gadot had previously auditioned for the role of Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). She did not get the part, but her impressive audition tape was reportedly circulated at Warner Bros., making her the studio's favorite for Wonder Woman.
Danny Huston (Ludendorff) plays an antagonist in a superhero film for the second time, after X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Both films were prequels to an earlier released film featuring multiple superheroes: the latter was a prequel to X-Men (2000) and its sequels, while this film is a prequel to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
(About 30 minutes in) Diana asks Steve Trevor, "Would you say you're a typical example of your sex?" and he replies, "I am above average." Dialogue of this kind had appeared earlier in Barbarella (1968), in which Dildano asks Barbarella, "Are you typical of Earth women?" and she answers, "I'm about average."
Third-billed Robin Wright appears in the film for only the first 20 minutes.
The tenth highest-grossing film of 2017.
The first DC Comics film outside the Batman series to receive an "A" from CinemaScore.
(About 1 hour 21 minutes in) The language spoken after the church is destroyed by the sniper is Flemish, the Belgian version of Dutch.
(About 1 hour 35 minutes in) Diana (Gal Gadot) wears a long blue dress in one scene of this film; this may be a tribute to the 1974 production Wonder Woman (1975) series, in which Lynda Carter's dress in season 2, where Diana wore a similar dress in the episode Light-fingered Lady (1978), played a leading role.
It surpassed Frozen (2013) as the highest-grossing film directed by a woman in domestic box office revenue and held the record until it was overtaken by Captain Marvel (2019).
Wonder Woman's new costume is based on Xena from Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) and has been adapted into the comics since Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #1, published by DC Comics and released on June 22, 2016.
Sameer and Charlie fire their rifles left-handed.
David Thewlis and Steffan Rhodri had appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), but they did not share any scenes in that film.
Before David Thewlis was cast, it was said that Sean Bean would play Ares. Bean had previously played another Greek god, Zeus, in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010); that film also featured Alexandra Daddario, a fan favorite who plays Wonder Woman. It was said that Eva Green would play Circe, but the character did not appear in the film. She played the ancient Greek queen Artemisia in 300: Rise of an Empire (2014).
Longtime DC Comics writer Grant Morrison pitched several DC film projects to Warner Bros., including a Wonder Woman film while working as a consultant in 2008. It would have opened with a flashback about the Amazons defeating invading Nazis: "Instead of the typical action scene where swords and shields defeat an invasion, we show how the Amazons' superior 'love technology' quickly makes the conflict one-sided. The Nazis' invasion of Paradise Island was defeated with weapons that caused Wehrmacht soldiers to orgasm uncontrollably! Funnily enough, some readers felt that the Amazon weapons were far more aggressive than guns that fire bullets and kill people. Or crippling swords! Is experiencing a non-consensual orgasm in the middle of battle really a worse prospect for some than a non-consensual bullet hitting the face?" Morrison ended up incorporating the scene into their graphic novel "Wonder Woman: Earth One."
After adjusting for inflation, this became the fifth highest-grossing DC film domestically, after The Dark Knight (2008), Batman (1989), Superman (1978) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Screenwriter Jason Fuchs explained that there were plans for a post-credits scene featuring Darkseid's son Kalibak, but it was ultimately canceled.
The film made the shortlist for the Best Visual Effects Oscar but was not nominated.
It is the third highest-grossing DC Comics film in domestic box office revenue, after The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). These are the only DC films to gross over $400 million domestically.
It is the third highest-grossing female superhero film, after Captain Marvel (2019) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).
This is only the second time Wonder Woman has appeared in a feature film; the first was when she met moviegoers in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Actress Nadia Bjorlin was ready to take on the role of Wonder Woman in Joss Whedon's planned late-2000s script.
(About 2 hours 5 minutes in) When Diana lands after destroying Ares, she drops to one knee; this is the traditional 'superhero landing' shown in many films and also parodied.
It surpassed Forrest Gump (1994) as Robin Wright's highest-grossing film.
David S. Goyer expressed interest in directing a Wonder Woman film and said: "I think Wonder Woman is a very difficult character to crack. More difficult than Superman, who is also more difficult than Batman. Also, many people in Hollywood believe that it's hard to do a big action film with a woman in the lead. I don't agree with that. But that tends to be the prevailing wisdom. I hope that changes in the next few years."
This is the second time Ewen Bremner (Charlie) has appeared in a film featuring actors who play DCEU characters. He appeared in Pearl Harbor (2001) alongside Ben Affleck and Michael Shannon, who play Bruce Wayne/Batman and General Zod.
David Thewlis plays Ares, the God of War in Greek mythology, whose symbol is both a boar and a wolf; David Thewlis also plays the famous Remus Lupin (surname derived from 'lupus,' Latin for 'wolf'), a werewolf in the Harry Potter series; the character's first name references Romulus and Remus (the former the namesake of Rome, Italy), the twin sons of Mars (Ares's Roman counterpart) who were raised by wolves in Roman mythology. References to these twins also appear in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) and Raised by Wolves (2020).
It was released a month before Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), another comic book film featuring a seemingly pure protagonist.
Paul Feig pitched a Wonder Woman film in 2013, shortly after the premiere of The Heat (2013). According to IGN, on stage there was a Wonder Woman who "kept hitting the 'glass ceiling' of the superhero world… [and] had to contend with male heroes like Batman and Superman." Feig envisioned it as a "lighter action-comedy" in the vein of the Iron Man films. Warner Bros. passed on the idea for fear that "fans can be quite protective of their characters and any changes made to them."
It is the first DCEU film without a connected comic book.