Bringing a super-powered warrior to life in a big budget superhero summer blockbuster is no easy task, as Gal Gadot can surely tell you after taking on the daunting task of bringing the world’s most iconic superheroine, Wonder Woman, to life. However, one look at the trailers for her eponymous big -screen adventure, set to hit theaters around the world this June, should put to rest any fears that she hasn’t done exactly that!
Reprising her role from 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“, Gadot will have the spotlight to herself in “Wonder Woman”. This meant totally committing herself to bringing the physical attributes and legendary fighting skills of the Amazons to life. To prepare for the role, Gadot trained in Kung Fu, Kickboxing, Jujitsu and Capoeira and her warrior training certainly shows in the film’s marketing push so far, as well as her willingness to film some of its large-scale action sequences while pregnant!
Director Patty Jenkins praised Gadot’s commitment to the role in a recent interview: “She’s pregnant during part of the movie, in a suit out in a field in the freezing cold in others. There are so many things we asked her to do: Now do it on one foot. Now shout while you’re doing it. Now it’s raining in the freezing cold and you’ve lost your voice, go. Everyday it was a hilarious gauntlet and she would do it. Now, at least, we will be able to tell her daughter Maya that she’s in her mom’s stomach right then, in the middle of that battle scene.”
Jenkins also offered fans a hint in crafting the film’s larger-than-life action sequences, in which Wonder Woman’s superhuman abilities are integrated with the martial arts skills and physical prowess Gadot built up for the film: “Really, every action sequence is from her point-of-view and for her story, so there was no point in the movie that we ever stepped out and were like, ‘Look at this extravaganza!’ … She witnesses a battle on a beach that rocks her world and changes her understanding of what warfare is. And then she comes to man’s world and she sees a war that everyone says is impenetrable and nothing can be done about it, and she says ‘What am I going to do about it? … It makes it like everything else I’ve ever done, because you’re just saying, ‘Here’s my character, here’s the journey that they’re on, how do I want to experience that and how do you do it?”
Gadot made quite the impression with her portrayal of Princess Diana in “Batman v Superman” (as did her character’s theme music!) and her solo outing will be just the first place she comes in for a superhero landing in 2017. Gadot will reprise her role in November with the release of Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated superhero ensemble “Justice League”, where she’ll be joined by Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, returning as The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel, along with Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher in the roles of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Between the glimpses we’ve gotten in the trailers so far and her origins in a culture of warrior women, Batman’s unforgettable warehouse brawl may be about to see a little competition!
“Wonder Woman” hits theaters on June 2nd, with “Justice League” arriving on November 17th. Stay tuned for more info on both as they make their earth-shattering touchdown!
