Patty Jenkins Is Right About Whedon’s Justice League and She Should Say So

I hate how Justice League treats Diana Prince. I absolutely hate that that movie kills off the Amazons, turns Diana Prince into the mother figure of the team, and then in the final battle, she’s meant to go and help Aquaman as if the boys don’t really NEED her. It infuriates me and makes me see red whenever I think about it because Joss Whedon turned my hero into some sort of afterthought.

My hope was that maybe the Snyder Cut would start to fix her storyline, but it’s not like I have a lot of hope on that front(we’ll still wait and see), but it seems as if I’m not alone in my general upset. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins also thinks that the movie is out of character for Diana.

Jenkins stopped by ReelBlend to talk about her upcoming film Wonder Woman 1984 and had this to say about Justice League: 

The Justice League? … No, I think that all of us DC directors tossed that out just as much as the fans did. But also, I felt that that version contradicted my first movie in many ways, and this current movie, which I was already in production on. So then, what are you going to do? I was like… you would have to play ball in both directions in order for that to work. The only thing I have done, and have always tried to do, is — I knew, when Zack was doing Justice League, where she sort of ends up. So I always tried… like, I didn’t change her suit, because I never want to… I don’t want to contradict his films, you know? But yet, I have to have my own films, and he’s been very supportive of that. And so, I think that that Justice League was kind of an outlier. They were trying to turn one thing into, kind of, another. And so then it becomes, ‘I don’t recognize half of these characters. I’m not sure what’s going on.’

I have my problems with both Batman v Superman and Justice League for their characterizations of Diana Prince (BvS less than JL), because both of them show us a jaded Diana Prince, something that I don’t think would happen or is necessary. What I love about Jenkins’ films is that Diana always finds a way to have hope, even when she shouldn’t.

She looks for the good in humanity and wants to share her power and her message with the world. That’s the Diana I know and love, and she didn’t exist in Justice League, not by a long shot. The sloppy handling of the character hurt after having waited so long to see her join the rest of the team.

Jenkins’ suit comment is also interesting because there has been a lot of upset among fans over the muted colors of Diana’s armor in BvS and Justice League, because the bright colors are something so completely her that it felt like it fit in that jaded tone, as well. Compared to both Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984‘s bright colors, I understand the point she’s making.

Sure, it’s a greater commentary on the DC movies as a whole and the directors working together, but I think that Jenkins’ and her dedication to giving us an accurate Wonder Woman is something I’m eternally grateful for.

Diana Prince stands for truth and love above all else. She wouldn’t abandon mankind when they needed her most, and I love that Patty Jenkins continues to show that fact in her movies.

(image: Warner Bros.)

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