20 Wonder Woman Movie Facts Worth Knowing

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Many 70’s culture fans remember iconic shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, The Love Boat and of course Wonder Woman. Diana Prince, played by Lynda Carter, was Wonder Woman’s alter ego. The hero fought bad guys in a skin tight, star studded suit and looked great doing it. The TV show remained popular until its ending in 1979, but the character never lost its appeal among both young and older fans. 

The character all but disappeared from the TV screen, only to make its way in kids DC Superhero cartoons. Then in 2017 the first Wonder Woman movie hit the screens and was a massive hit. The superhero film was based on the DC Comics character of the same name, and was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Cruel and Unusual Films Atlas Entertainment.

It wasn’t an easy task for producers to find the right actress to play the hero in DC’s hit movie Wonder Woman. In fact they had to filter through quite a few A-list actresses, but finally decided on Gal Gadot to play the role of the Amazonian princess. That’s not the only twist in this saga. Here’s 20 more facts about the making of this blockbuster movie, plus a glimpse of famous actors up for the part: 

1. The Movie Was a Long Time Coming

The thought of resurrecting Wonder Woman’s character back to life in a movie began in 1996, with plans of Ivan Reitman producing and directing the film. Joss Whedon also had intentions of creating the movie based on the TV character. Wonder Woman was almost brought to life by George Miller in a Justice League movie, but none of the aforementioned  projects panned out in the end.

2. Gal Gadot Beat Out some Big Names

Producers canvassed through a lot of big name actresses over the years to find the perfect person to play the role of Wonder Woman. Angelina Jolie was once considered for the part, as well as Sandra Bullock and Lucy Lawless. Underworld saga actress Kate Beckinsale was also rumored to have a shot at the role. Actress Megan Gale was cast as Wonder Woman in George Miller’s version of the movie, which never made it to the big screen.

3. Diana’s First Appearance Wasn’t “Wonder Woman”

Wonder Woman’s first big-screen debut wasn’t in the actual film, but she played a cameo role in Zack Snyder’s movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. It was in that movie the role of Diana was filled by Gal Gadot, who beat out actresses Olga Kurylenko and Elodie Yung.

4. “Wonder Woman” Burned Through Directors

Receiving the final green light on the DC and Warner Brothers version of Wonder Woman did not mean there were no bumps in the road. Their first choice for director landed on Michelle MacLaren, but there were “creative differences” that eventually led to producers selecting Patty Jenkins to sign on to direct the picture.

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5. The Movie Faced Bans in the Middle East

Gadot’s link to the Israeli military caused the Wonder Woman film to face bans in several Arab countries including Qatar and Lebanon, a move almost followed by Jordan and Tunisia. The film was also pulled from the Algerian film festival.

6. Wonder Woman Graced the Race Track of NASCAR

No one seems to beat NASCAR when it comes to being a viable marketing platform. The flashier the better in fact. That’s probably what led driver Danica Patrick to create a moving Wonder Woman billboard, complete with the star studded paint scheme on her race car.

7. Filling the Role of Diana’s Mother Was a Challenge

Princess Diana’s mother Hippolyta is the queen of the Amazons, so it was fitting for a strong woman to play the part. A few stars were considered to fill the role before making their final decision on Connie Nielsen. Celebrities eyed to play the queen were actresses Charlize Theron who turned down the role, and Nicole Kidman who was in the process of filming Big Little Lies. 

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8. Italy Played Home to the Amazonian Tribe

The Amazon home of Themyscira was actually a real place in Italy. The beautiful paradise on the Amalfi Coast of Italy played host to many of the island scenes that took place throughout the movie. Themyscira is a fictional archipelagic island nation first appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. 

9. There Could Have Been Two Wonder Women in One Film

Original cast members from Wonder Woman’s 1970’s TV show, Lynda Carter who played Diana and Lyle Waggoner who played Steve Trevor, were asked to do a cameo during the film. Unfortunately both actors were unavailable, but director Zack Snyder did make a special cameo during the Wonder Woman movie.

10. Jenkins’ Inspiration Came From the Comics and TV Show.

During an interview, Jenkins claims she based her interpretation of the character from the original comics and Lynda Carter’s TV interpretation. She followed the rules that Wonder Woman doesn’t like to hurt people or use violence unless she has to. Jenkin also felt that even though the hero needed to be tough, she needed to be loving, funny, warm, and face the challenges of understanding humankind.

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11. Wonder Woman Does Not Stand Alone.

Diana may be known worldwide as Wonder Woman, but the film version felt the name should be left in the title not used throughout dialogue in the film itself. Since the movie was set in a more realistic world, the superhero went by her given name Diana Prince.

12. Paradise Island Versus Themyscira.

Paradise Island is the name of the original place where Diana and the Amazons lived. This origin continued all the way through the comic books and in the ‘70s show. In the 1980s, the name of “Themyscira” was introduced by comic writer George Perez. In the movie, Trevor attempts to draw a connection between the two names when he refers to Themyscira as “Paradise Island” in the film.

13. Family Ties Run Throughout MCU and WW

Chris Pine ultimately got the role of Trevor, but other actors auditioned for the part including Liam Hemsworth and Alexander Skarsgard. Both actors have connections to other famous MCU characters since Hemsworth’s brother Chris is the mighty Thor and Skarsgard’s father Stellan has a role in the MCU as well.

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14. Gadot Was Expecting as the Movie Wrapped Up

Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot was five months pregnant by the time the movie went back for reshoots. That didn’t stop the production team from getting the shots they needed. They camouflaged the actresses’ baby bump by putting green fabric over her midsection, creating a green screen effect.

15. Gadot Was Told She Was Auditioning for a “Secret” Role

Gadot had no idea she was auditioning for the role of Wonder Woman. She was told by director Zack Snyder she was invited for a camera test, and merely read a few lines that she soon found out belonged to Princess Diana.

16. No-Man’s-Land Scene Barely Made the Cut

Jenkins said in an interview with Fandango she had to fight with execs to get the no-man’s-land scene pushed through. She added that in her opinion it was the most important scene in the movie and her favorite.

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17. Gadot Put in Extensive Training for the Part

Gadot trained for six months, putting in more than six hours a day in preparation for the role. She packed on 17 pounds of muscle through weight training and lessons in fight choreography, horseback riding and sword fighting.

18. The Amazons Learn Fight Techniques Made Famous in Film 300

Amazon warrior women including Connie Nielsen who played Queen Hippolyta, received extensive training from the same instructors that worked with the cast of 300. They maintained high calorie diets at 3,000 a day, and put in two hours a day of weightlifting, swordplay, and horseback riding.

19. Gadot Almost Gave up Acting

Prior to landing the role in Wonder Woman, Gadot had contemplated giving up acting. She said she had to face quite a bit of rejection before landing this starring role.

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20. The Leading Lady Lightened Things Up

Gadot was known to break character on the set and was the first person to dance in the midst of a scene or crack a joke with fellow cast members. 

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