Wonder Woman has regained the attention she deserves in recent years. Having been somewhat relegated to the background within the industry, her two latest films and the return of the Justice League have placed her in the perfect position for a retrospective, similar to those we've already done with other superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man: a look at all the actors who have brought Wonder Woman to life on screen. Sit back and take a look. You might be surprised.
Wonder Woman, the great heroine of DC
At Marvel, things might be a bit more evenly distributed (or blurred), but at DC Comics, there is one quintessential heroine, and there's no room for debate. We're referring, of course, to Wonder Woman. Created during World War II by William Moulton Marston and drawn by H.G. Peter, Wonder Woman first appeared in issue #8 of the comic book series All Star Comics, in December 1941.
She is an Amazon princess known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira , but outside her people she goes by the name Diana Prince. Her superpowers are based on superhuman strength and formidable combat skills, inherited from the gods and honed through rigorous training to become a warrior. Among her signature items that always accompany her are a rope (the Lasso of Truth), indestructible bracelets, and a tiara that can also be used as a weapon. Interestingly, Wonder Woman is one of the few heroines without a male counterpart.
Since this heroine appeared on paper, her participation in comics has been practically uninterrupted, except for a brief period of time during the 80s. She is one of the most drawn characters in the DC universe, who also came to make the leap to the world of small television and to the big screen. Today we are going to look precisely at the actresses who have been in charge of turning her into someone of flesh and blood.
Actresses who have played Wonder Woman
Many are surprised to learn about all the actresses who have portrayed the DC character. Between some unsuccessful projects and the fact that we've long had the fantastic Gal Gadot in mind, it's hard to imagine so many women have donned the Amazonian uniform. Let's take a look.
ellie woodwalker
The very first Wonder Woman. Capitalizing on the success of Batman (1966), producer William Dozier decided to make a short film hoping Warner Brothers would like it and be encouraged to produce a pilot episode for a Wonder Woman series. The proposal, filmed in a humorous tone, was called Wonder Woman: Who's Afraid of Diana Prince? and did n't take off at all, although it did ensure Ellie's place in history as the first Wonder Woman in television and film (even though her appearance lasts only 4 minutes).
Note that there is a graphic document of the short and it is not wasted:
cathy lee crosby
The second attempt to bring Wonder Woman to the screen came from Cathy Lee Crosby, who continued to sport her blonde hair when she filmed the pilot for a TV series based on the superheroine. Between this aesthetic detail and the fact that the premise strayed considerably from the comic book character, the project, simply titled Wonder Woman , also failed to gain traction, and the story didn't make it past its premiere year, 1974.
Notice how "different" she was; her version would later be used by DC Comics themselves as an alternate Wonder Woman from Earth in the limited series "Infinite Crisis." The actress also appeared as Lynda Carter's adversary (whom we'll discuss later) in the TV series that finally aired a year after her initial attempt.
Lynda carter
And so we come to the one who, for many, will always be the quintessential Wonder Woman (at least for those who enjoyed her in previous generations, of course). With Carter, the stars finally aligned: there was a solid TV project, and she was a perfect fit. So much so that today she is the most remembered face of Wonder Woman, with a 60-episode television series that aired from 1975 to 1979.
Four intense years in which she portrayed this DC superheroine, giving her the image that the production company needed for the character at that time . Perhaps the many comics that Lynda herself read in her childhood and adolescence about Wonder Woman helped in her portrayal, as the actress has acknowledged on occasion.
Megan gale
The Wonder Woman curse claimed another victim many years after Lynda Carter, this time with her sights set on film. Megan Gale was set to portray Princess Diana in Justice League: Mortal . It was a Warner Bros. project directed by George Miller (director of Mad Max ), with DJ Cotrona set to play Superman, Armie Hammer Batman, and, as mentioned, Gale as Wonder Woman.
The project was canceled, but the casting photos did surface—the image above is via Slashfilm— giving us a glimpse of how the costume (and the character) would have looked on Megan. Many don't even consider it part of the superheroine's cinematic history, but given the existence of these official photos, we felt compelled to include them here.
Adrianne Palicki
Before Gal Gadot proved she was the actress we'd been waiting decades for in this role, we had another attempt that again fell through. Producer David E. Kelley ( Ally McBeal ) developed a TV series project with the character as the lead and cast Adrianne Palicki in the role.
They filmed a pilot, presented it to NBC (which was going to air the series)... and the concept was so poorly received that it was immediately rejected and canceled . A swift and decisive cancellation. Neither Palicki dressed as Wonder Woman nor the plot appealed to an executive who sensed failure from a mile away. Some time later, a few images from the pilot leaked, in which we can see the actress in action, like the intro you see below.
Gal Gadot
Salvation personified. Gal Gadot has not only proven that the character wasn't dead and just needed a good approach, but she has also demonstrated that she was the actress we've long needed to portray her on the big screen. Even with the occasional lingering nostalgia for Lynda Carter, Gadot is considered the best Wonder Woman we've had to date.
Her weapons (pun intended)? An attractive image, that of a strong and powerful woman who departs from the fragility that other actresses have always exuded in the past. Gadot is above all an Amazon, as the comic book dictates and as fans like, who has also left behind that sexualized touch of previous versions to give way to a heroine in whom, thankfully, other virtues prevail.
The actress first appeared as Diana Prince in the DC Extended Universe with the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). This was followed by her first solo film, Wonder Woman , and then the controversial Justice League , both in 2017.
These were followed by Wonder Woman 1984 (which was delayed several times due to the pandemic but finally premiered in December 2020) and the famous Snyder Cut of Justice League , which, as you know, is a new take on the original film that the director had to abandon due to an extraordinarily serious personal issue. Although Joss Whedon finished it, it wasn't until 2021 that we finally got Zack Snyder's true vision . A film over four hours long, in 4:3 format, and with the option to watch it in black and white, in which Wonder Woman also appears.
But Gal Gadot's story doesn't end here. Warner Bros. has confirmed a third film, making the actress the star of a full trilogy within the DC Extended Universe. The company revealed that this project has been in development for some time and that the positive reception of the first two films has finally prompted them to bring it to fruition. Patty Jenkins, who directed the first two films, will once again helm the trilogy, ensuring greater coherence across all the productions. We can't wait to hear more.
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