Though she’s currently brightening up the otherwise dreary Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Wonder Woman is also gearing up for her first solo feature film. Directed by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman will tell the Amazon warrior’s origin story, which screenwriter Jason Fuchs (Pan, which isn’t ominous at all) has borrowed in part from DC’s New 52, insofar as Zeus is established as Diana’s (Gal Gadot) dad. The film’s premiere is still more than a year away, but Entertainment Weekly has shared this exclusive look at Princess Diana’s homeland, Themyscira, as well as her warrior family.
Jenkins and producer Charles Roven drew inspiration from the real-life islands off the Amalfi coast for their creation of Themyscira, which was once known as Paradise Island. The team worked in the Greek influence, but Roven notes that they didn’t want to ground Diana’s mythical homeland too much in reality: “It’s a place that has the ‘you’ve never been to’ kind of feel’.”
We got our first look at the ageless Princess Diana back in January, but EW also offers a glimpse at her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), as well as her aunts, General Antiope (Robin Wright) and Lieutenant Menalippe (Force Majeure’s Lisa Loven Kongsli). All four warriors wear armor and carry weapons, though Diana’s the only one with a shield, which is presumably why she earns the moniker of “greatest female warrior” ever.
Their combined looks are intended to “be authentic and real–and appealing to women,” which is why Jenkins also decided to give the warriors both heeled and flat boots, the latter of which she admits are better for waging real war. Of the design choices, Jenkins said:
It’s total wish-fulfillment. I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time–the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body. That makes them feel like the hero they want to be. And my hero, in my head, has really long legs.”
There’s no reason why Jenkins and Wonder Woman can’t have it both ways, but surely the addition of a lasso wouldn’t have weighed her down too much?