DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson said Wonder Woman "has been, since I started, one of the top three priorities for DC and for Warner Bros. We are still trying right now, but she's tricky." On October 5, 2013, WB chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara said he wanted to get Wonder Woman in a film or on TV. Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were still under consideration for solo film subjects as of June 2013. The film would later be cancelled following production delays and budgetary concerns. That same year, Warner Bros. began development of a Justice League film with Michele and Kieran Mulroney writing the screenplay.
Christina Cauterucci felt Wonder Woman's ability to be considered a "feminist antidote" was undermined by her "sex appeal". Killian suggests these elements "should not be the focus of a kickass heroine—her beauty, bone structure and sexiness—if she is to be a feminist icon". Kyle Killian found an inherent contradiction in the construction of Wonder Woman as "a warrior" who, she states, is highly sexualized. Wonder Woman, according to the BBC had "some thinking it's too feminist and others thinking it's not feminist enough".
Williams then juxtaposes Wonder Woman with past female action heroes Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley and Lara Croft, whom she suggests were all constructed for the male gaze, in which a "female warrior becomes a sex object". Chris Nashawaty applauded the film's "smart, slick, and satisfying" tone, while emphasizing the irony that a female hero and director set new standards in a male-dominated genre. Scott Mendelson of Forbes called it "the best female-centric comic book movie," far surpassing films like Catwoman (2004) and Elektra (2005), though he noted it has flaws and doesn't match the 2009 animated film Wonder Woman.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle lauded the performances of Gadot, Pine, Huston and Thewlis while commending the film's "different perspective" and humor. Critics commented favorably on Gadot's performance of the titular character and Chris Pine's Steve Trevor. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 85% overall positive score and a 73% "definite recommend".
One came from Jesse McLaren who states "Cameron's just confused there's a female hero whose motivations aren't centered around motherhood." Noah Berlatsky found areas of agreement between Cameron and Jenkins, stating that while Cameron's objection is "an old point that's been made over and over for decades", Jenkins's film is not "solely focused on objectifying Gal Gadot for a male audience". A Newsweek article suggests that in contrast to his criticism of Jenkins, Cameron's own films include "lot of objectification" and quotes Hollywood celebrities who echoed this view. She argued "there is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman" because "if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong and we aren't free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far, have we?" Reaction to this debate was mixed. In a 2017 interview, Cameron qualifies Jenkins's vision of Wonder Woman as "an objectified icon" and called the film "a step backwards". Other critics refer to the construction of Wonder Woman in the film as "an implausible post-feminist hero".
It grossed over $824 million worldwide, making it the tenth highest-grossing film of 2017 and the highest-grossing film by a solo female director until it was surpassed by Barbie (2023). The film received critical acclaim for its direction, performances, visuals, story, action sequences, and cultural significance, though some criticism was directed at the climax. Steve and Diana separately infiltrate the party, with Steve intending to locate the gas and destroy it, and Diana hoping to kill Ludendorff, believing that he is Ares and thus killing him will end the war. The Lebanese government did not ban Gadot's Fast & Furious films which did screen in Lebanon. The film's release was delayed several times, including owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was not released until December 25, 2020.
In present-day Paris, Diana receives a photographic plate from Wayne Enterprises of herself and four men taken during World War I, prompting her to recall her past. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers and her true destiny. On July 18, Alamo Drafthouse proposed settlement offers of a Wonder Woman DVD to dingo casino login the complaints, stating "Respondent did not realize that advertising a 'women's only' screening was a violation of discrimination laws." The chain responded with an online statement saying the event "may have created confusion—we want everybody to see this film" and announced a similar event at their Brooklyn location. Jordan was reportedly also considering a ban of the film and suspended screenings pending a decision, but on June 11, it was reported that the government decided not to do so, as there was no legal precedent for it. On June 6, Variety reported that Algiers, the capital of Algeria, pulled the film from the "Nuits du Cinéma" film festival.
However, Silver stated that he had purchased the script because he did not want the rights reverting; while stating the script had good ideas, Silver did not want the film to be a period piece. In March 2005, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures announced that Joss Whedon would write and direct the film. Leonard Goldberg focused on Bullock who said that she was approached for the role.
One criticism was directed towards aspects of the final act, with the reveal of Ares and the climactic fight. "First off, mustard gas is such a horrible, terrifying weapon, it doesn't need to be made more potent. But if you were a chemist bent on raining destruction on the Allied forces, you wouldn't do it by replacing the sulfur atom in mustard gas with a hydrogen atom. You'd know that sulfur is the linchpin holding together this poisonous molecule." Steve Rose in The Guardian criticized the film for failing to explore the material's potential for "patriarchy-upending subversion".
Kelly Lawler of USA Today celebrated its feel-good tone, making it a refreshing contrast to the darker superhero films from both DC and Marvel. Though neither the film nor the series are aimed exclusively at women, the latter's campaign gave them their first opportunity to begin collecting data about female superhero fans. Unlike other franchise films that prioritize brand consistency, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. gave Jenkins and Jensen creative freedom, allowing them to craft a distinctive aesthetic that aligned with Wonder Woman's character and origin story.
Jenkins responded by giving him some extra creative control over his character, which Brave Rock said was "unprecedented". Gadot described Diana as having "the heart of a human so she can be emotional, she's curious, she's compassionate, she loves people. And then she has the powers of a goddess. She's all for good, she fights for good." She also said that Diana has "many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence". Nicole Kidman was in negotiations for the role of Queen Hippolyta, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Big Little Lies. As well, Elena Anaya's performance as Doctor Poison is the cinematic debut of that character. She said, "I trained six hours a day for six months—gym, fight choreography, and horseback riding. It was more intense than the army."
Pine initially had no interest in playing the role, feeling that it was "second fiddle." However, after speaking with director Jenkins, his perspective changed. You know, two hours of weight training, two hours of swords training and then two hours of horseback riding". Robin Wright was cast as Antiope. Wright said training for the film included riding, weights, martial arts, and eating 2,000–3,000 calories a day. Every once in a while, there's superhero casting that transcends, because that person is so authentic to the character that it becomes identified with them, like Lynda Carter or Christopher Reeve. Jenkins emphasized that creating a relatable, multifaceted character was essential, citing The Hunger Games as a significant step in changing perceptions of female leads.
He has stolen a notebook of the chief chemist Dr. Isabel Maru, who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff from a weapon facility in the Ottoman Empire. Steve is interrogated with the Lasso of Hestia and reveals that a great war is consuming the outside world and that he is an Allied spy. Although she initially forbids Diana to be trained as a warrior, Hippolyta reluctantly agrees to let General Antiope, Hippolyta's sister and Diana's aunt, train her, only more rigorously than any other warrior.