Ever since the first trailer for Wonder Woman (2017) dropped, fans and critics alike have been busy creating their own spinoff trailers featuring elements from the iconic ’70s television show starring Lynda Carter. Just take a look at this masterpiece:
While we could spend all day watching this sort of stuff, it actually got us thinking: how will the new Wonder Woman compare to the classic TV show? Moreover, will the show have any influence on the first ever live-action Wonder Woman and our reaction to it?
After all, Lynda Carter and her portrayal in the Wonder Woman series that ran from 1975 to 1979 are legendary within popular culture. Although comic book fans had been aware of the Amazonian princess for many decades beforehand, Carter delivered the character to the mainstream, and we loved her. She was brave, sensitive, powerful and kind in ways that superheroes had never been depicted. Wonder Woman was a force to be reckoned with, a woman in a man’s world that simply refused to shy away from her role and responsibilities.
The impression Lynda Carter left on the public was so potent that even after the show ended her influence continued to grow. The world was simply not ready to let such a great example of female empowerment disappear, and while a reboot of the show never really did take off (possibly due to the lack of Carter) there was still commercial success to be had. To this day you can purchase action figures as well as other merchandise featuring Wonder Woman, some of which spans all the way back to the premiere of the show.
Though she may have been neglected by cinema over the last 50 years, Wonder Woman also continues to appear in other DC creations including modern releases like video games. Heck, in DC Universe Online, her character is the spitting image of Lynda Carter as she features in many of the main quests, including the fight against Anti-Monitor and his minions. There’s even an online slot inspired by the series entitled Wonder Woman Gold, which can be found at Sun Bingo amongst similar slot games like Zeus and Amazon Wilds. With ’70s music and nostalgia-inducing symbols, Wonder Woman Gold is a unique addition to the Wonder Woman lore.
With such a strong, consistent presence within popular culture after all these years, how could Lynda Carter’s ’70s show not have an influence on Patty Jenkin’s new release? In fact, even though the movie is yet to be released some fans have already found some possible callbacks to the show. For instance, some social media users noted that in the trailer Gal Gadot is shown wearing a blue dress similar to one worn by Lynda Carter years earlier.
Credit: @haarleyquin via Twitter.
However, there is a chance that a sneaky homage or two may be the only way Wonder Woman (2017) overtly acknowledges the existence of its predecessor. Perhaps, this is even for the best.
We highly doubt that Patty Jenkins or Gal Gadot would intentionally avoid watching the classic ’70s Wonder Woman show, but while they may appreciate it as much as other fans that doesn’t necessarily mean much of the new film will or should be influenced by it. After all, Gadot’s Wonder Woman is aimed towards an entirely new generation, one that appears to hold serious action over campy comedy when it comes to superhero media.
Besides, this Wonder Woman has already set herself apart from Carter’s character, having chosen to abandon the American image almost entirely along with the iconic costume. The Wonder Woman of 2017 is of an entirely different caliber when compared to the ’70s depiction, and if the reviews of Batman vs Superman are anything to go by, the public is okay with that.
To make a final judgment regarding how these two Wonder Women will compare and to what degree the show has influenced the movie, we will, unfortunately, have to wait until June 2. At the end of the day, we have high hopes for the new release while still appreciating the old classic, and so any level or lack of influence is sure to be appreciated.
*Featured Image: “Wonder Woman” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by tsquared3000
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