I searched but didn’t find this anywere. If someone has already posted this, sorry.
I think Lucy Lawless is perfect for the role.
Except, Phantom has been getting trashed by one critic after another. Driver isn’t worthy of polishing WW’s boots.
I’ve been discussing this on another board; the actresses that folks most want to see in the role include:
- Lucy Lawless
- Monica Belucci
- Charisma Carpenter (may I just say Blech?)
- Gina Torres
- Morena Something-or-other, the one who played the Companion on Firefly
Gina Torres is a brilliant nomination; tragically and stupidly, her blackness may disqualify her. But I would love to see her get the role. Morena would be my second pick: she’s not as badass, but she’s a great actress, and looks more like the classical Wonder Woman. Charisma Carpenter lacks the stage presence, and Lucy Lawless lacks the ineffable beauty.
Daniel
She can’t have the role. Not because she is black, but because she is the voice of Vixen on JLU. It would cause too much confusion.
I had no idea. I still think she should get the role, even if she has to drop the Vixen gig. I can’t imagine a more perfect Wonder Woman.
Daniel
Links added to original post. And I disagree with your assessment of Ms. Carpenter, at least if it’s in regards “visuals”. Don’t know enough about her acting chops to make a comment one way or another.
Oh, come on guys, you know how Hollywood works. The role needs to go to a tall, shapely, buff actress who can at least LOOK like she does her own stunts. Therefore the obvious Hollywood selection will be …
Callista Flockhart.
On the other hand, Catwoman. Not that I’d want this movie to follow in that movie’s footsteps in any other way, mind you.
I wish they would just stop with the comic book movies already. The first X-Men was good, the first Spider-Man was great, Daredevil and Punisher were ok, but everything else (including X-Men and Spider-Man sequels) has been crap and it’s only getting worse. I do not have high hopes for Fantastic Four and that’s one of the “bigger” ones coming out. I can’t imagine a Wonder Woman movie being any better than the embarassment that was Catwoman.
I found both X-Men 2 and Spider-Man 2 to be better movies than the first in each series, and are near the top of my list of the greatest comic book movies (behind American Splendor and Ghost World, of course). IMHO, the general trend has been that the second installment is better than the first–X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman. Batman is the exception here, but that series started mediocre and went downhill (the 1930’s Batman serial remains the best live action Batman).
You want crap? Find the original, unreleased versions of Fantastic Four and Justice League and the made for tv versions of Captain America and Wonder Woman. The Dolph Lundgren Punisher. These things make the 60’s Batman series look good by comparison.
I can’t imagine a Wonder Woman movie being worse than Catwoman, which is to date one of the worst commercially released comic book movies.
I just wish someone would realize that these big superhero movies shouldn’t be star vehicles. Write the movie to fit the characters, and cast the movie based on who would be the best fit for the characters. You don’t need name actors to sell these properties, you have a built in audience in the form of the fan base from the comics and tv shows. Sure romantic comedies and generic action pictures sell based on the star power, but that’s because that’s the primary attraction. When you go to the latest Will Smith action comedy, you see Will Smith; the actor’s standard screen persona is the character. But with a comic book movie based on icons like Wonder Woman or the X-Men, the actor’s personality should be secondary to the character’s.
Carpenter, Lawless, Belucci, and Zeta-Jones are all too old to play Wonder Woman, who is physically about 21. Minnie Driver is just wrong.
The best choice for the role, IMO, would be an unknown who wouldn’t need to have the role tailored to fit her, but who would instead be chosen to fit into the role.
But neither the X-Men movies nor the Spider-Man had big-time stars, and they were the most successful comic book adaptions of recent years. I think Hollywood has realized your point, especially now that the adaptations of Catwoman and Daredevil - both unabashed star vehicles - failed at the box office. In fact, very few “star vehicles” have done well financially over the past few years. *Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, X-Men, PotC * (both of them), even the Star Wars and Matrix films: none of them had what anyone would call a box office draw. These films may have produced “Bankable” stars, but they didn’t rely on them.
I think Hollywood HAS been learning something.
Alessan: Though the X-Men movies did have a big name star–Halle Berry–I agree with you for the most part. Poor wording on my part. I wish more people would realize that superheroes do not make good star vehicles. We’re still getting nearly as many big name star vehicles as we are movies cast to fit the characters, as evidenced by the examples in your post. The new Batman movie looks promising. Christian Bale seems to be the first choice to play the part that is actually capable of pulling off the creepy, physically intimidating aspect of the chracter–he certainly did so in Equilibrium.
Whenever there’s a discussion of who should be the next X, we inevitably get a series of big name stars suggested, and in this case even one quoted earlier as stumping for the part. I read somewhere that Tom Cruise has expressed interest in playing Tony Stark in a proposed Iron Man movie. Cruise is a good actor, but he’s just wrong for the part. Denzel Washington is a better actor than Wesley Snipes, but he wouldn’t have mad a better Blade.
Wow, I hadn’t thought about Gina Torres before! She would be just awesome in that part, both because she’s hot and she can definitely play the seemingly-naive-but-able-to-kick-your-ass-without-a-second-thought part perfectly. It’ll never happen, but she’d be great!
I thought of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lucy Lawless first. They’re both still unbelievably hot (and Zeta-Jones is the most beautiful human being currently living, IMO), but they are a little too old to be Wonder Woman.
I think it’d require an unknown to play the part. Lynda Carter and Christopher Reeve (and for that matter, Lucy Lawless) weren’t well-known before they played super-heroes, and not only were their projects successful, but their careers were “made” from those parts. And it’s not a case of “Hollywood won’t accept an unknown in a big movie these days,” either – they’ll cast somebody big in the role of the villain or as Steve Trevor or something.
The only thing I have to say is I better hear “Get us out from under, Wonder Woman” at least once in the film. 
Hellboy was pretty durned good. And you forgot League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as an example of a comic book stinker.
I was about to suggest Jessica Alba, but I noticed she’s in the Fantastic Four. Maybe Eliza Dushku?
She has the snarky bitch with a heart of gold down pat, but I just can’t see her kicking ass. There’s nothing threatening about her presence.
Daniel
Wouldn’t describe either of these gals as being buff. I’m in the Gina Torres camp.
Considering Hollywood’s record of casting female parts in super hero movies, I predict that the tital role will go to whoever is the flavor of the month, and totaly unsuitable for the part (see Halle Berry in X-Men, and Catwoman).
I’m tired of Hollywood “Re-imagining” characters. I once heard some pop tart talking about wanting to play a female James Bond - “Why can’t James Bond be a woman?” Because he’s James-friggin-Bond, you ignorant slut. The character has certain attributes. He’s British. Dark-haired. Suave. Male. This doesn’t mean there can’t be a Bond-like female character… Berry’s Jinx was supposed to get a film of her own, and they could certainly adapt Danger Girl. But James Bond is a Guy.
Similarly, there was McG’s rumored casting of Beyonce Knowles as Lois Lane in the next Superman Film, back about fifty rumors ago. Good Grief. Whatever kind of crack that guy is smoking, they’d better get it off the streets.
Gina Torres, as one might expect as the subject of this rant, should not be Wonder Woman. Nor should they get a blonde or a redhead for the part.
Why, aside from some “small-minded” traditionalism? Because if the film were to go forward with Gina and show any kind of commercial success, DC Comics would revamp the HELL out of the comics Wonder Woman in an instant, to help cash in.
Think not? Marvel’s done it. Organic Webshooters, pal.
Get an unknown, statuesque, 6’ 1" Raven-haired gal with some nice musculature.