8 Ways The DCU Has Already Made Its Version Of Wonder Woman So Much Different To The DCEU
The DCU"s version of Wonder Woman is already shaping up to be quite different from the DCEU"s, even though little is still known about the latest take on the character. Of the "Big Three" in the DC universe, the least is known about the DCU"s take on Wonder Woman, with neither a soon-to-release film like Superman nor a cameo appearance to fuel an upcoming slated release like Batman. However, James Gunn has already dropped a few pieces of critical information differentiating her from the previous incarnation.
The Wonder Woman DCEU movie appearances propped her up as one of the more important characters of the franchise, getting two solo movies as well as a litany of cameo or team-up appearances. While Gal Gadot"s Wonder Woman fit into the world of Zack Snyder"s darker, grittier version of the DC universe, the more "comic book-y" DCU is already looking to set its Princess Diana apart. Even with such little information, there are already a few major things to point to that represent some major changes to the Wonder Woman mythos.
8 The DCU's First Look At Wonder Woman Shows Her Dead Body Already showing off a very different costume![]()
It may be a blink-and-you"ll-miss-it appearance, but Wonder Woman has technically shown up once already in the nascent DCU. In Creature Commandos, one of Circe"s apocalyptic visions shows Diana dead, impaled on spears along with Superman, Supergirl, and Booster Gold, implying some horrific future in which the Justice League are decimated. It"s a horrific image, but it does technically contain the first glimpse of the DCU"s costume for Wonder Woman.
This is a nice bit of separation, helping the two different versions of the character feel distinct from one another, with the DCU emulating Wonder Woman"s costume in series like Justice League Unlimited.
Gal Gadot"s Wonder Woman garb had a very sturdy approach, feeling more like an ancient, yet advanced armor rather than a superhero costume, with a sword-and-sandals vibe evoking the mythical history of the Amazons. Meanwhile, the DCU"s approach to Wonder Woman"s outfit seems to be much more rooted in the comics, complete with a star-spangled leotard and high heels. This is a nice bit of separation, helping the two different versions of the character feel distinct from one another, with the DCU emulating Wonder Woman"s costume in series like Justice League Unlimited.
7 Wonder Woman's Home Is Getting A DCU Prequel Before Her Debut Themyscira will get the spotlight before Diana does![]()
Interestingly enough, it seems as if the DCU will be examining the history of Wonder Woman"s home before even attempting to introduce the character in full. One of the projects announced for the DCU"s initial slate of films and TV shows is the series Paradise Lost. This live-action fantasy series will be set on Themyscira, the ancestral home of the Amazons in most versions of the DC mythology. The story will take place long before Wonder Woman is even born, possibly even being set in the ancient antiquity of Greek civilization the Amazons are inspired by.
It"ll be fascinating to see how laying out the history of Wonder Woman"s home before ever introducing her plays out for the franchise.
Choosing to put forth such an idea before a solo Wonder Woman project is even confirmed for the DCU is an interesting idea. The DCEU, meanwhile, first had Wonder Woman suddenly appear in the modern day in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, only eventually getting around to showing a handful of flashbacks featuring Themyscira at various stages in the timeline. It"ll be fascinating to see how laying out the history of Wonder Woman"s home before ever introducing her plays out for the franchise.
6 A DCU Wonder Woman Villain Has Appeared Before The Hero's Own Debut Circe the sorceress is the biggest window into Wonder Woman thus far![]()
Circling back to Circe, indeed much of what can be gleaned about the DCU"s Wonder Woman stems from her appearance in Creature Commandos. Circe serves as a major antagonist in the series, especially early on, leading an attack on the fictional nation of Pokolistan due to her vision of a dire future that cannot come to pass. Circe is a classic Wonder Woman villain from the comics, and it"s a bold choice to debut her before ever even directly mentioning the iconic Justice League member serving as her archnemesis.
The DCEU never got around to debuting their own version of Circe, using Ares, Maxwell Lord, and Cheetah as Wonder Woman"s primary villains instead. Her existence says a lot about the DCU, implying it to be a relatively high-magic setting with her fantastic suite of powers and actual existence as a character from Greek myth. The brutal thrashing she survives from Dr. Phosphorous and Weasel also describes just how durable the super-powerful Amazons are, boding well for Wonder Woman"s own strength.
5 Themyscira Was Previously Thought To Be A Myth, But Is A Known Nation Themyscira has apparently revealed itself to the world![]()
In many ways, Themyscira is the Wakanda of the DC universe. An isolationist nation that is traditional and ancient in some ways but highly advanced in others, both Themyscira and Wakanda are mysterious places in their respective universes. In the DCEU, a platoon of German soldiers and Steve Trevor learn of Themyscira"s existence for the first time, but neither of them survives World War I long enough to tell the tale.
Meanwhile, Creature Commandos has given some insight into how Themyscira is perceived in the new series.
Here, it"s revealed that Themyscira was once thought to simply be a myth, but has recently become a known nation, at least by the upper echelons of the United States government, such as A.R.G.U.S. command. Rick Flag Sr. seems to express doubt, but John Economos assures him the Amazons are very real. This seems to continue the DCU"s tendency to already have a pre-established superhero world.
4 The DCU Wants Wonder Woman's Prequel Story To Have A "Game Of Thrones" Vibe A lofty goal for the DCU to reach for![]()
Themyscira didn"t get too much focus in the DCEU, and when it did, it seemed more inspired by classic peplum movies or the biblical epics of old. The DCU has already publicly stated to be aiming for a very different aesthetic for the upcoming Paradise Lost series. Specifically, James Gunn stated that Paradise Lost would be like Game of Thrones, only swapping the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros for the Amazons of Themyscira.
This commitment to gritty fantasy storytelling is certainly an exciting premise for the Themyscira of the DCU. A more character-focused, violent, and turbulent Themyscira rife with political intrigue would certainly stand out compared to the relative harmony with which the Amazons lived in the DCU, even if they did fight together against external threats. Hopefully, Paradise Lost can avoid making the same mistakes Game of Thrones did in its abysmal final season.
3 Many Of The Amazons Were Killed By A Tsunami Disaster Circe's warnings should have been heeded![]()
Not only is Themyscira"s existence a confirmed fact, but it seems as though Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. command actually do have some inkling of the island nation"s history. This stands in stark opposition to the Themyscira of the DCEU, which more or less remained a secret to the vast majority of the world. A big plot point in Creature Commandos centers on whether Circe"s future sight is legit, and whether the Princess of Pokolistan is worth taking seriously as a threat.
Amanda Waller assures Rick Flag that Circe"s visions do have some precedence for truth, describing a time in which Circe predicted that a massive rogue wave would wreak havoc on Themyscira, only to be ignored by her fellow Amazons. It turns out Circe was right when a massive tsunami ravages the unprepared island, devastating the Amazons" population. This could mean that Themyscira is in a much more vulnerable position, possibly still even recovering from the decrease in the Amazons" numbers.
2 The Amazons Have A Pulpier Ancient Greek Aesthetic A single photo is worth a thousand words![]()
Not only does Creature Commandos heavily feature a Wonder Woman villain as a major player, but it also actually provides the first glimpse of the DCU"s Amazons, if albeit a brief one. As the existence of Themyscira and the Amazons are explained to Rick Flag, at one point a brief photo of several Amazon warrior women posing in Themyscira comes across the screen. Freeze-framing this moment, a lot can be gleaned about how the DCU is altering the aesthetics of Wonder Woman"s home country.
The architecture and culture of Themyscira seems even more ancient than that of the DCEU"s version, complete with chariots, haystacks, and water troughs.
The Amazons of the DCU seem a lot pulpier compared to those of the DCEU, lacking Zack Snyder"s affinity for 300-style Spartan armor. Instead, the DCU"s warrior women have much more of a classic "Amazonian" appearance, scantily-clad in totally-fantastical garb reminiscent of pulp novels of the 20s and 30s. Behind them, the architecture and culture of Themyscira seems even more ancient than that of the DCEU"s version, complete with chariots, haystacks, and water troughs.
1 The Sons Of Themyscira Want To Be The First Men To Live There A hilarious commentary on real-life alt groups![]()
One aspect of Creature Commandos" relationship with Themyscira that ruffled the feathers of a few viewers was the inclusion of the Sons of Themyscira. Clearly derivative of real-life hate groups, this army of terminally-online soldiers of fortune apparently rally around the fact that no men are allowed in Themyscira, wanting to storm the nation and become the first men to live there while decrying the current state of the place as "woke". Circe manipulates this group for her own ends, using them as an ad hoc army.
Considering the political commentary at play with the DCU"s version of the Sons of Themyscira, it"s hard to imagine the movies of the DCEU playing into such a tongue-in-cheek joke. That being said, considering Gal Gadot"s continued controversy as an actress, the previous franchise certainly had their own fires to put out with Wonder Woman. It"s nice to see the DCU isn"t afraid to explore Wonder Woman"s history as a character meant to challenge gender representation in media.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
The Wonder Woman DCEU movie appearances propped her up as one of the more important characters of the franchise, getting two solo movies as well as a litany of cameo or team-up appearances. While Gal Gadot"s Wonder Woman fit into the world of Zack Snyder"s darker, grittier version of the DC universe, the more "comic book-y" DCU is already looking to set its Princess Diana apart. Even with such little information, there are already a few major things to point to that represent some major changes to the Wonder Woman mythos.
8 The DCU's First Look At Wonder Woman Shows Her Dead Body Already showing off a very different costume
It may be a blink-and-you"ll-miss-it appearance, but Wonder Woman has technically shown up once already in the nascent DCU. In Creature Commandos, one of Circe"s apocalyptic visions shows Diana dead, impaled on spears along with Superman, Supergirl, and Booster Gold, implying some horrific future in which the Justice League are decimated. It"s a horrific image, but it does technically contain the first glimpse of the DCU"s costume for Wonder Woman.This is a nice bit of separation, helping the two different versions of the character feel distinct from one another, with the DCU emulating Wonder Woman"s costume in series like Justice League Unlimited.
Gal Gadot"s Wonder Woman garb had a very sturdy approach, feeling more like an ancient, yet advanced armor rather than a superhero costume, with a sword-and-sandals vibe evoking the mythical history of the Amazons. Meanwhile, the DCU"s approach to Wonder Woman"s outfit seems to be much more rooted in the comics, complete with a star-spangled leotard and high heels. This is a nice bit of separation, helping the two different versions of the character feel distinct from one another, with the DCU emulating Wonder Woman"s costume in series like Justice League Unlimited.
7 Wonder Woman's Home Is Getting A DCU Prequel Before Her Debut Themyscira will get the spotlight before Diana does
Interestingly enough, it seems as if the DCU will be examining the history of Wonder Woman"s home before even attempting to introduce the character in full. One of the projects announced for the DCU"s initial slate of films and TV shows is the series Paradise Lost. This live-action fantasy series will be set on Themyscira, the ancestral home of the Amazons in most versions of the DC mythology. The story will take place long before Wonder Woman is even born, possibly even being set in the ancient antiquity of Greek civilization the Amazons are inspired by.It"ll be fascinating to see how laying out the history of Wonder Woman"s home before ever introducing her plays out for the franchise.
Choosing to put forth such an idea before a solo Wonder Woman project is even confirmed for the DCU is an interesting idea. The DCEU, meanwhile, first had Wonder Woman suddenly appear in the modern day in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, only eventually getting around to showing a handful of flashbacks featuring Themyscira at various stages in the timeline. It"ll be fascinating to see how laying out the history of Wonder Woman"s home before ever introducing her plays out for the franchise.
6 A DCU Wonder Woman Villain Has Appeared Before The Hero's Own Debut Circe the sorceress is the biggest window into Wonder Woman thus far
Circling back to Circe, indeed much of what can be gleaned about the DCU"s Wonder Woman stems from her appearance in Creature Commandos. Circe serves as a major antagonist in the series, especially early on, leading an attack on the fictional nation of Pokolistan due to her vision of a dire future that cannot come to pass. Circe is a classic Wonder Woman villain from the comics, and it"s a bold choice to debut her before ever even directly mentioning the iconic Justice League member serving as her archnemesis.The DCEU never got around to debuting their own version of Circe, using Ares, Maxwell Lord, and Cheetah as Wonder Woman"s primary villains instead. Her existence says a lot about the DCU, implying it to be a relatively high-magic setting with her fantastic suite of powers and actual existence as a character from Greek myth. The brutal thrashing she survives from Dr. Phosphorous and Weasel also describes just how durable the super-powerful Amazons are, boding well for Wonder Woman"s own strength.
5 Themyscira Was Previously Thought To Be A Myth, But Is A Known Nation Themyscira has apparently revealed itself to the world
In many ways, Themyscira is the Wakanda of the DC universe. An isolationist nation that is traditional and ancient in some ways but highly advanced in others, both Themyscira and Wakanda are mysterious places in their respective universes. In the DCEU, a platoon of German soldiers and Steve Trevor learn of Themyscira"s existence for the first time, but neither of them survives World War I long enough to tell the tale.Meanwhile, Creature Commandos has given some insight into how Themyscira is perceived in the new series.
Here, it"s revealed that Themyscira was once thought to simply be a myth, but has recently become a known nation, at least by the upper echelons of the United States government, such as A.R.G.U.S. command. Rick Flag Sr. seems to express doubt, but John Economos assures him the Amazons are very real. This seems to continue the DCU"s tendency to already have a pre-established superhero world.
4 The DCU Wants Wonder Woman's Prequel Story To Have A "Game Of Thrones" Vibe A lofty goal for the DCU to reach for
Themyscira didn"t get too much focus in the DCEU, and when it did, it seemed more inspired by classic peplum movies or the biblical epics of old. The DCU has already publicly stated to be aiming for a very different aesthetic for the upcoming Paradise Lost series. Specifically, James Gunn stated that Paradise Lost would be like Game of Thrones, only swapping the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros for the Amazons of Themyscira.This commitment to gritty fantasy storytelling is certainly an exciting premise for the Themyscira of the DCU. A more character-focused, violent, and turbulent Themyscira rife with political intrigue would certainly stand out compared to the relative harmony with which the Amazons lived in the DCU, even if they did fight together against external threats. Hopefully, Paradise Lost can avoid making the same mistakes Game of Thrones did in its abysmal final season.
3 Many Of The Amazons Were Killed By A Tsunami Disaster Circe's warnings should have been heeded
Not only is Themyscira"s existence a confirmed fact, but it seems as though Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. command actually do have some inkling of the island nation"s history. This stands in stark opposition to the Themyscira of the DCEU, which more or less remained a secret to the vast majority of the world. A big plot point in Creature Commandos centers on whether Circe"s future sight is legit, and whether the Princess of Pokolistan is worth taking seriously as a threat.Amanda Waller assures Rick Flag that Circe"s visions do have some precedence for truth, describing a time in which Circe predicted that a massive rogue wave would wreak havoc on Themyscira, only to be ignored by her fellow Amazons. It turns out Circe was right when a massive tsunami ravages the unprepared island, devastating the Amazons" population. This could mean that Themyscira is in a much more vulnerable position, possibly still even recovering from the decrease in the Amazons" numbers.
2 The Amazons Have A Pulpier Ancient Greek Aesthetic A single photo is worth a thousand words
Not only does Creature Commandos heavily feature a Wonder Woman villain as a major player, but it also actually provides the first glimpse of the DCU"s Amazons, if albeit a brief one. As the existence of Themyscira and the Amazons are explained to Rick Flag, at one point a brief photo of several Amazon warrior women posing in Themyscira comes across the screen. Freeze-framing this moment, a lot can be gleaned about how the DCU is altering the aesthetics of Wonder Woman"s home country.The architecture and culture of Themyscira seems even more ancient than that of the DCEU"s version, complete with chariots, haystacks, and water troughs.
The Amazons of the DCU seem a lot pulpier compared to those of the DCEU, lacking Zack Snyder"s affinity for 300-style Spartan armor. Instead, the DCU"s warrior women have much more of a classic "Amazonian" appearance, scantily-clad in totally-fantastical garb reminiscent of pulp novels of the 20s and 30s. Behind them, the architecture and culture of Themyscira seems even more ancient than that of the DCEU"s version, complete with chariots, haystacks, and water troughs.
1 The Sons Of Themyscira Want To Be The First Men To Live There A hilarious commentary on real-life alt groups
One aspect of Creature Commandos" relationship with Themyscira that ruffled the feathers of a few viewers was the inclusion of the Sons of Themyscira. Clearly derivative of real-life hate groups, this army of terminally-online soldiers of fortune apparently rally around the fact that no men are allowed in Themyscira, wanting to storm the nation and become the first men to live there while decrying the current state of the place as "woke". Circe manipulates this group for her own ends, using them as an ad hoc army.Considering the political commentary at play with the DCU"s version of the Sons of Themyscira, it"s hard to imagine the movies of the DCEU playing into such a tongue-in-cheek joke. That being said, considering Gal Gadot"s continued controversy as an actress, the previous franchise certainly had their own fires to put out with Wonder Woman. It"s nice to see the DCU isn"t afraid to explore Wonder Woman"s history as a character meant to challenge gender representation in media.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
