I have been a big fan of CW’s Arrow series. While I have noticed a few changes and characters that have been changed for the sake of television, I deal. Heck, I’m even excited for Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. series to start up on ABC next year. Pretty much I am excited to see any superhero based series get it’s shot on TV. However, some news came out today that scared me a little. CW is trying to revive their Wonder Woman TV series under the name Amazon. Honestly, I thought after their halfhearted attempt by NBC at bringing Wonder Woman to TV CW might let the idea die but after the success of Arrow they’re giving it the old college try. Here’s the official statement:
Warner Bros TV, the studio behind the CW drama project Amazon, has hired a casting director to launch a search for the lead in the project in anticipation of a potential pilot pickup. A breakdown for the role has been released, providing a glimpse into the Tarzan-like fish-out-of-water premise and the central character of the Wonder Woman origin story written by Allan Heinberg that chronicles the female superhero’s life as a young Amazonian, before she becomes a warrior princess with super powers.
According to the breakdown I’ve obtained, her name is Iris (not Diana). “She comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted and just as often horrified by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn’t have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see and things to learn and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.”
The casting search is being done while the script for the project is still being written. It is not unusual for studios to do preliminary casting work on high-profile projects before a green light, especially those whose success hinges on casting the lead. The CW is having its biggest hit in years this fall with a show about a DC superhero, freshman Arrow, so the network’s desire to try to emulate that success with another comic book-inspired franchise is understandable.
Wonder Woman has always been a character that has only been done well in the DC animated movies. No one has been able to adapt the character well (I dare you to find the original CW pilot for Wonder Woman and sit through the whole thing). Being a comic fan myself, I’m even having a hard time getting excited for this. Most comic book characters are getting the dark and gritty reboots, but rather than go that route they are making her a socially awkward and confused super heroine. It might be cute for an episode, but if that’s what you guys are going to base seasons of plot around I may just have to take a pass. On the same side, this is the same station that brought us Arrow, so maybe there’s still hope out there. Just maybe.
