SUPERHERO SYNDROME: WONDER WOMAN (*EDIT: NEW ACTRESS TO TAKE UP MANTLE!)

“Of all people, you know who I am…who the world needs me to be. I’m Wonder Woman.”

*Scroll all the way to the bottom for big Wonder Woman news!*

You would be hard pressed to find another comic book character with as much popularity and simultaneous inability to make a successful jump to the screen than Wonder Woman.

Fans of the comic character have been clamoring for the Amazon Princess to make a legitimate jump to television or movies for many years since Lynda Carter's brief stint.  Now with the success of the Dark Knight series, the Man of Steel movie and the upcoming Man of Steel and Batman movie, the possibility of seeing Wonder Woman make an on screen appearance is becoming more of a reality.  A Justice League movie on the horizon is giving fans hope to see the Lasso of Truth and bulletproof bracelets in live action.

Although audiences are most familiar with Carter's version, it is little known that there were two earlier attempts at bringing the super powered woman to the screen, which both failed miserably, along with an audition for the second attempt which was (thankfully) not approved.

Let's turn back the clock and see the great Wonder Woman throughout the years!

WONDER WOMAN: WHO'S AFRAID OF DIANA PRINCE? (Pilot 1967)

It is not widely known that the on screen debut of Wonder Woman was made by the beautiful Linda Harrison in a short clip that served as a pilot for a proposed television series based on the comic character.  Harrison is widely known for her role in the movie Planet of the Apes, which is why this Wonder Woman pilot is popular to this day.  While the Amazing Amazon usually plays her own alter ego, the role of Diana Prince was played be actress Ellie Wood Walker.

Check out the 5 minute pilot below, but keep in mind that it was intentionally made to as campy as the old Batman and Robin series (the narrator of the show also narrates in this pilot).  The Wonder Woman pilot was release at the height of the popularity of Batman and Robin:

My Rating:

2.00001 out of 5 stars

THE AUDITION 1974

Before the next Wonder Woman took up the mantle, there was an audition for the role that did not make headlines until a few years ago.  Angela Bowie (ex-wife of rock legend David Bowie) claims she auditioned for the role of the Amazon Princess and was close to getting the part, but studio officials say she was never even considered.  Judging by the test shot done by her, I'm glad it didn't happen.

My (predicted) Rating:

0.00000000001 out of 5 stars

WONDER WOMAN (Pilot 1974) 

Blonde haired Cathy Lee Crosby plays the Amazon with superhuman agility in this made-for-TV movie that also served as the pilot vehicle for the TV series.  While Lynda Carter's version may have been the most popular based on how closely she resembled the comic character, but I enjoyed Crosby's version better because she was a more realistic character.

This version of Wonder Woman has Crosby playing the assistant of agent Steve Trevor who works for the American government hunting an international criminal.  Her "secret identity" of Diana Prince was not so secret in this made for TV movie.

Although this pilot was never picked up as a series, Crosby claims she was offered the starring role for the popular series that ended up starring Carter.

My Rating:

3.83782003 out of 5 stars

WONDER WOMAN (TV series 1975 - 1979)

The most famous Wonder Woman was played by Lynda Carter for three seasons and became one of the most popular comic character based shows of the time.  This was mostly due to the beauty of Carter and the lack of comic character series during the time.

Although it was popular with fans, studio officials claim that making the show the way they did was a mistake by them.  They even went on to say that they should have stuck with the theme of the Wonder Woman played by Crosby as it wasn't more focused on the sexuality like Carter's version.

The first season followed the comics closely explaining the origins of Wonder Woman and her alter ego Diana Prince in the 1940s during WWII.  The following season brought the show to the period time (1970s) and stuck with the times throughout the third, and final, season.

My Rating:

2.84710078 out of 5 stars

WONDER WOMAN (2011)

Bringing up the rear in the Wonder Woman parade is the beautiful Adrianna Palicki.  Although she looked the part of a young and fresh new face to the Wonder Woman persona, the show was canceled before the pilot even aired.

In this pilot (that was slated to air on NBC but looked more like a show for the CW), Wonder Woman is a super powered being who (literally) runs the streets of the mean city.  She runs a multi-million dollar business in which the main product is.....Wonder Woman dolls.

Yes, the pilot was horrible with the exception of the fight scenes.  There were so many wrongs in this pilot that it was hard to enjoy it.  Not only is she running a toy company, but she is also very mean and short tempered (which is directly against all the character stands for); she even threatens to kill someone (her severely unimpressive "rival" played by the equally beautiful Elizabeth Hurley) and follows through on actually killing someone during the course of the show.  There is also a brief scene in which she tortures a criminal to extract information, yet we are supposed to feel sorry for her because she had to leave her love interest for reasons unknown.

Her character was all over the place with the creators trying to make her modern.

Click here to see the 40 minute pilot.

My Rating:

2.745872 out of 5 stars

There have been so many rumors as to who would play the Amazing Amazon, yet there remains the perfect pick for her.  

Jennifer Lawrence.  The return of the blonde Wonder Woman?

Jennifer Connelly

Olivia Wilde

Megan Fox.  Heavily rumored.  She looked the part, but was passed up.

The Wonder Woman character has never been able to really find a home on screen....why?  I believe it's because studio officials try to modernize her character while keeping the same outfit she's worn since her inception.  Having a woman parade around in a bikini fighting crime doesn't work today.  There needs to be subtle changes to the costume like what was done with Superman in Man of Steel, and I believe the character needs a strict distinction as to how she will actually be as far as her personality.

I would say that if her personality was closer to that of Chris Hemsworth's Thor character (tough person who can fight but still has a moral compass and makes emotional decisions) she would be a great fit in to modern times.


Here's a fan made concept movie trailer for a Wonder Woman movie that I feel would be good today. It's very professionally made:

So are you waiting for a movie based on the Amazon Princess or should we all wait for her to show up in the inevitable Justice League movie that will be released in a few years.


It appears Hollywood has made its choice in casting the next Wonder Woman:

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN (2015)

In the sequel to Man of Steel, we will not only see a new Batman, but Wonder Woman will also make an appearance!  Gal Gadot will dust off the bracelets and try to fill in the boots for the Amazing Amazon!

Photoshop win!

Personally, I don't like her look for the part.  She is too skinny, in my opinion, to be a superhero like Wonder Woman; however, the Fast and Furious movies have shown that, along with being beautiful, she is athletic (thanks to being a former Israeli soldier) and able to act very well.

Let's see how this plays out!


Jay