# Ok ... so how would YOU lay out a compelling Wonder Woman storyline for a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206 "2014-03-21T03:18:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/81 "2014-03-24T09:34:54Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > And the scientific explanation for Odin putting the ‘Only he who is worthy can lift this hammer’ bit? Or for Mjoliner (sic) at all? A hammer that can pull a 250 pound man by throwing attached to your wrist? Super-science, as shown by the interaction when Jane Foster was on the diagnostics table I referenced above. It’s made clear by the Asgardian’s conversations themselves that they have technologies way in advance of us. But they don’t consider it magic. I’ve acknowledged that it’s not _hard_ science. But it is clearly considered in-Universe to be tech, not magic. Eg. how the energy of the Tesseract can be “tapped” by even human _tech_ devices. Yes, it’s all “mysterious energy” whooo - but the Bifrost shows up on a movie-science scanner, their flying boats are clearly agrav ships, their prisons are Star Trek-style force cages. There is no ‘magic’ there, anymore than there is in Superman’s flight or Hulk’s routine defiance of conservation of mass. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/82 "2014-03-24T09:58:25Z")
Clarke’s Third Law works in mysterious ways. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/83 "2014-03-24T09:59:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Super-science, as shown by the interaction when Jane Foster was on the diagnostics table I referenced above. It’s made clear by the Asgardian’s conversations themselves that they have technologies way in advance of us. But they don’t consider it magic. I’ve acknowledged that it’s not _hard_ science. But it is clearly considered in-Universe to be tech, not magic. Eg. how the energy of the Tesseract can be “tapped” by even human _tech_ devices. Yes, it’s all “mysterious energy” whooo - but the Bifrost shows up on a movie-science scanner, their flying boats are clearly agrav ships, their prisons are Star Trek-style force cages. There is no ‘magic’ there, anymore than there is in Superman’s flight or Hulk’s routine defiance of conservation of mass. And Lokis illusion casting? Marvel made the first Thor and it almost completely matchs with the comics. The fact that they may have retconned some magic in the second one doesn’t change the fact that they made a mega moneymaking film with the easily-swallowed premise that Odin and Loki have sorcerous powers, and the ability to enchant items. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/84 "2014-03-24T10:02:24Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > And Lokis illusion casting? Nanobots. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/85 "2014-03-24T10:27:41Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Not only Star Wars, but a certain Star…something…TV series just dived right in also. But those weren’t mythological characters, at the time. Star Trek literally restated the premise of the show at the beginning of every episode. Anyhoo, agree you need an origin story for WW. I doubt one person in one hundred knows anything about the character beyond her name. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/86 "2014-03-24T10:30:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Well, the suggestion that she is the BEST KNOWN superhero is asinine. There is absolutely no chance whatsoever that that is true. She’s not close to Superman and Batman. > > And while she might once have been a solid #3, there’s no way that is true anymore, and I’d bet good money on it. Yeah, she had a show 35 years ago. (the show wasn’t in the 80s; it was cancelled in 1979.) That was 35 years ago. Spider-Man is most definitely far more famous now. Arguments could be made for Iron Man. > > Most people get their superhero fix from movies. The total revenue from all comic book sales in North America in 2014 will be substantially less than the box office take of “The Avengers,” and Wonder Woman is a small part of the comic book industry. As recently as 2011, monthly sales of Wonder Woman were around 31,000, meaning that fewer people buy Wonder Woman comics in a month than watch one of the “Iron Man” movies on Blu-Ray or on-demand in a week. Wonder Woman’s been off the screen for almost two generations; half the market has never seen her and knows next to nothing about her. But Wonder Woman has something going for her that the OTHER superheroes don’t – she’s a feminist icon. She was on the cover of the very first issue of NOW Magazine back in 1973 (IIRC), put there by Gloria Steinem to castigate DC for disempowering her, making her into a Modesty Blaise clone. The other comic book series are JUST comic book superheroes. That is what accounts for her greater visibility, despite neglect by DC’s idiot leadership. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/87 "2014-03-24T11:26:05Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > And Lokis illusion casting? Telepathic image projection I can go all day, BTW. For every possible power, there’s always a “magic” way of stating it and a “SciFi” way of stating it: “Seven-league boots” vs “The Speed Force”. “_Ríastrad_” vs “Hulking Out” ,etc _et_ bloody _cetra_. > [@](#): > > Marvel made the first Thor and it almost completely matchs with the comics. The fact that they may have retconned some magic in the second one doesn’t change the fact that they made a mega moneymaking film with the easily-swallowed premise that Odin and Loki have sorcerous powers, and the ability to enchant items. The stuff in the first film, while definitely _not_ as explained as in the later one, also still clearly gives the Asgardians a tech slant, and certainly the secondary antagonist could best be describes as “an energy-beam shooting killbot”. The Asgardians from the get-go are portrayed as very powerful, yet still “real”, aliens, _not_ supernatural beings. The various realms are clearly parallel universes, not DnD-style Outer Planes. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/88 "2014-03-24T11:32:28Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > But Wonder Woman has something going for her that the OTHER superheroes don’t – she’s a feminist icon. She was on the cover of the very first issue of NOW Magazine back in 1973 (IIRC), put there by Gloria Steinem to castigate DC for disempowering her, making her into a Modesty Blaise clone. The other comic book series are JUST comic book superheroes. That is what accounts for her greater visibility, despite neglect by DC’s idiot leadership. 1973 is a _long_ time ago, way before the bith of most of a modern movie’s audience. People who raised the TV series, BTW, you are aware overseas audiences didn’t necessarily see it, right? I personally am way more familiar with _Mighty Isis_ than Wonder Woman on live TV. I’ve only seen WW on YouTube (and laughed myself silly) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/89 "2014-03-24T11:45:03Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > 1973 is a _long_ time ago, way before the bith of most of a modern movie’s audience. > > People who raised the TV series, BTW, you are aware overseas audiences didn’t necessarily see it, right? I personally am way more familiar with _Mighty Isis_ than Wonder Woman on live TV. I’ve only seen WW on YouTube (and laughed myself silly) They shjowed WW here back in the day; hilariously, they translated her name as [Eshet Chayil,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshet_Chayil)or “Woman of Valor”. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/90 "2014-03-24T11:57:40Z")
Not relevant to this discussion, but I found it funny that Temperance Brennan on Bones knows nothing about pop culture, but has a deep understanding of Wonder Woman. Not realistic, but kind of funny Brian ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/91 "2014-03-24T12:52:19Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > But Wonder Woman has something going for her that the OTHER superheroes don’t – she’s a feminist icon. She was on the cover of the very first issue of NOW Magazine back in 1973 (IIRC), put there by Gloria Steinem to castigate DC for disempowering her, making her into a Modesty Blaise clone. The other comic book series are JUST comic book superheroes. That is what accounts for her greater visibility, despite neglect by DC’s idiot leadership. If the New 52 Batwoman wasn’t called Batwoman, she’d be a good pick for a movie with this sort of appeal. Cliff’s notes version of her origin story is that she was an army brat whose mother was killed in a terrorist attack. She became a cadet at West Point but was drummed out because she refused to violate her principles to comply with DADT. After that she drifted for a while, until one night she was saved from a mugger by Batman. This inspired her to become a vigilante herself, which she accomplished with her father’s help. I’d also let her get married here, because screw DC and their grimderp nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/92 "2014-03-24T13:00:16Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > In a universe where\*\* all other explanations\*\* for powers are couched in (pseudo)scientific terms, yes, it is. _Doctor Strange_ is at the heart of Marvel’s Phase Three movies. Magic is absolutely and emphatically part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Stop this dumbness. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/93 "2014-03-24T14:20:31Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > _Doctor Strange_ is at the heart of Marvel’s Phase Three movies. Magic is absolutely and emphatically part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Stop this dumbness. We have yet to see how they handle him, though. They’ve explained away Thor and Asgard as advanced aliens. “Absolutely and emphatically” is a bit over the top, especially when, beyond the lifting of Mjolnir I guess, there’s been 0 magic present in any of all their movies. They’ve left the door open, is all. So far, it’s all been advanced pseudoscience and aliens. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/94 "2014-03-24T14:30:03Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > We have yet to see how they handle him, though. They’ve explained away Thor and Asgard as advanced aliens. “Absolutely and emphatically” is a bit over the top, especially when, beyond the lifting of Mjolnir I guess, there’s been 0 magic present in any of all their movies. > > They’ve left the door open, is all. So far, it’s all been advanced pseudoscience and aliens. Tony Stark’s charisma is beyond the ken of even super-science. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/95 "2014-03-24T14:34:07Z")
Of course Wonder Woman’s magic. It says so right in the theme song. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/96 "2014-03-24T15:19:40Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Of course Wonder Woman’s magic. It says so right in the theme song. I doubt those tights are even satin. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/97 "2014-03-24T15:22:40Z")
I volunteer to inspect. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/98 "2014-03-24T15:37:41Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Telepathic image projection > > I can go all day, BTW. For every possible power, there’s always a “magic” way of stating it and a “SciFi” way of stating it: “Seven-league boots” vs “The Speed Force”. “_Ríastrad_” vs “Hulking Out” ,etc _et_ bloody _cetra_. > > The stuff in the first film, while definitely _not_ as explained as in the later one, also still clearly gives the Asgardians a tech slant, and certainly the secondary antagonist could best be describes as “an energy-beam shooting killbot”. The Asgardians from the get-go are portrayed as very powerful, yet still “real”, aliens, _not_ supernatural beings. The various realms are clearly parallel universes, not DnD-style Outer Planes. Well, now we’re starting to converge for sure. Cause I don’t see any difference between parallel universes and outer planes. And even in the comics, they don’t really say Odin is ‘magic’. He has “The Odinforce”. Their weapons are forged. (though enchanted). On a different note…I find it fascinating how the superhero movie trend has slowly changed the way we think. What stopped all these from being made forever ago? Cause every time we tried to picture it, we thought…“Okay, that’s just silly” And now…it isn’t. For the most part. I still have trouble picturing a JLA standing together. For a JLA to work, you need a badass villain. And DC hasn’t even started to lay the groundwork for Darkseid.\* There’s a whole story in and of itself that needs to be told. \*I think their story is much more interesting than Thanos. With Thanos you can just jump right in. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/99 "2014-03-24T15:44:55Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > In a universe where\*\* all other explanations\*\* for powers are couched in (pseudo)scientific terms, yes, it is. Incorrect. Dr. Strange. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206/100 "2014-03-24T16:02:51Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > _Doctor Strange_ is at the heart of Marvel’s Phase Three movies. …and we have yet to see how that is worked into the story. > [@](#): > > Magic is absolutely and emphatically part of the Marvel cinematic universe. It “absolutely and emphatically” hasn’t been, _ **so far** _. I’m not saying I would mind if there _was_ unquestionable magic. I’m telling you what it looks like they’re doing _so far,_ with everything being Clarke tech. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-how-would-you-lay-out-a-compelling-wonder-woman-storyline-for-a-movie/684206.md?page=6)