Amidst all the tomcats and naked birds that during Wonder Woman 1984, I have the fact that Gal GadotWonder Woman never once used her iconic shield or sword – two things she used in the first film. She uses her magic lasso very, but the shield / sword combination never makes an appearance. Like all things in movies, it was a deliberate choice and a star Gal Gadot revealed why the Patty Jenkins-targeted sequel put Wonder Woman’s weapons.
As I watched Wonder Woman 1984, I kept thinking, “Wow, that’s not good.” I also keep thinking: “Wow, Wonder Woman uses her lasso very in this movie. Much more than the first film. I was so distracted by the abundant lasso use that I completely missed that Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince / Wonder Woman never once used her famous sword and shield – two things she used in the first film. The shield was especially iconic in the first film, with Wonder Woman using it in the fantastic No Man’s Land scene.
So what happened? Did Diana sweep the sword and shield into a remote scene? Apparently not. While talking to CBR, Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, revealed that the lack of sword and shield was meant to indicate that Wonder Woman no longer wants to be a warrior – she wants to be a peacekeeper. “That’s part of the reason we decided she should not have a sword or a shield,” Gadot said. Diana is not aggressive. She’s not there to fight. She’s a peacemaker. She also understands that people are not bad in themselves … We are all the same. ‘
I actually think this element is a big reason why the film does not work: it is very naive. Wonder Woman 1984 works under an optimistic assumption that people deep inside them are really good. And I’m sorry, but … that’s not true. Anyway. And while I appreciate the idea of an optimistic superhero movie, the optimism in Wonder Woman 1984 is just a little too much.
Anyway, Wonder Woman used her sword and shield in both Batman v Superman and Justice League, two films that were made afterwards Wonder Woman 1984, so at some point the character decides to record them again. Will we ever get an explanation of that, maybe in Wonder Woman 3? Or will it simply go unnoticed? I guess it will be the latter unless there’s a scene in the upcoming Snyder Cut of Justice League where Diana talks about using her weapons again.
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