Does The New Wonder Woman Look Super Or Super Stupid?

Zach Snyder, director of the upcoming film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, gave fans their first glimpse of actress Gal Gadot in full costume as Wonder Woman on twitter this weekend. In the image, the super heroine’s usually red, white and blue ensemble has been transformed into a sexy battledress comprised of muted, rusted tones. It definitely fits in with Synder’s dark and gritty takes on Superman and Batman, but does it actually look super? Or does the super short skirt and impractical wedge heels make Wonder Woman look kind of stupid?

Let’s back up and discuss why Wonder Woman’s clothes matter in the first place.

Readers, we live in dark times. Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy, Angelina Jolie’s Maleficient and The Hunger Games franchise are conquering the box office, but neither Marvel nor DC has made a stand-alone superhero film starring a woman. That said, there are rumors that DC wants to make a Wonder Woman film starring the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s Gal Gadot, but what would that even look like? Would it be a film that celebrates female empowerment or would it be exploiting women for the delight of horny fanboys?

Based on this first image of Wonder Woman, we still don’t have a definitive answer.

Sure, Wonder Woman has never been the most covered up of super heroines. Lynda Carter’s famous costume from the 1970s television series, Wonder Woman, is pretty much just a colorful American Apparel swimsuit with a belt. Even if Carter’s iconic look is oodles of fun, modern illustrators and fans have been clamoring to see Wonder Woman in a much more pragmatic ensemble.

You could say that Gadot’s costume is more practical that Lynda Carter’s spandex onesie. Gadot is wearing battle armor. However, it’s really skimpy battle armor. Her battle skirt doesn’t even cover up her bikini line. Then there is the issue of the wedge heels. We’re moving past an age where super heroines are expected to fight in stilettos, but Marvel and DC is still insisting on a wedge heel for its heroines. Why? Besides offering a few more inches of height, a high heel shifts a woman’s posture so that her legs look thinner and so that her boobs and butt stick out.

So, here’s what we can gather from Gadot’s costume: Wonder Woman will be a warrior, but she’ll be a hot warrior. Wonder Woman will wear armor, but it’s sexy armor. Wonder Woman will be in a big screen movie, but for now, she’s third-fiddle to the boys.

Oh, and that Snyder’s film is going to be dark and somber — like a tortured champion’s soul.

If feminist fans are excited about anything in Wonder Woman’s new look, it’s that Hollywood is offering us scraps. Women still are not equals at the superhero table, even if audiences are clearly clamoring for them to be.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to be released May 6, 2016.

Wonder Woman is available to buy and rent on Amazon, Google Play & iTunes.