Zack Snyder's Wonder Woman Plans Would Have Made DC Comics Fans Furious
Zack Snyder's tenure running DC's cinematic universe was contentious, to say the least. Some loved the dark and gritty tone he brought to the characters, while others would've preferred a more vibrant approach akin to the source material. However, one reveal would've undoubtedly left a sour taste in most fans' mouths — particularly avid fans of DC Comics.
According to the "Batman v Superman" director, he initially planned to reveal that Zeus wasn't a god, but a Kryptonian instead. This would mean that Wonder Woman, the daughter of Zeus, would lose her demigod status and become a Kryptonian. "It's this whole thing with Ares and Zeus... [We considered how] Zeus could possibly be a Kryptonian," Snyder revealed about his DCEU plans at SnyderCon 2023. "So, that Wonder Woman's powers... you can sort of see where that's going. Because the whole thing of whether or not magic and the gods... There's a version of where you're like, 'That's cool, I guess.' But then there's also the more sort of scientific aspect. You have the pathology built up of like, 'Where do gods come from?'"
Although it may seem like a minor change to the overall narrative, Snyder fully planned to retcon longstanding DC Comics lore, putting a "realistic" spin on his cinematic universe by rooting it in science. However, it would've come at the expense of Wonder Woman's character, relating her origin to Superman and erasing what has made her an icon in the comics industry.
Snyder's ideas erase Wonder Woman's origins
Let's give credit where credit is due. Zack Snyder brought Wonder Woman to the big screen, giving the beloved character her live-action film debut, which meant more to women and girls worldwide than can ever be put into text. That's why it's so surprising that in his grand plan for the DCEU, he considered making a decision that would've drastically changed her for the worse.
Despite debuting in the 1940s, it wasn't until 2011 that DC retconned Wonder Woman's origins to make her the daughter of Zeus. Not only was the change more interesting for the character, but it was also a massive step forward for women's representation in comics. Gone were the days of other characters making Wonder Woman special, as she previously gained her powers as gifts from the Greek gods. Now, she paved her own path forward with a chip on her shoulder, as her abilities were no longer a gift, but rather a part of her. Wonder Woman became an individual whose accomplishments were hers and hers alone, whose strength rivaled that of Superman. Most importantly, she was unapologetically herself — something you can't put a price tag on.
Understandably, Snyder's ideas for change likely wouldn't have gone over well for a large part of the DC fandom. Making Wonder Woman a Kryptonian unnecessarily relates her to Superman, who Snyder had as the face of the DCEU. It's not technically fridging, but it feels like a roundabout way of reducing her character, tying her to a prominent male character. Not to mention, magic and gods are at the core of so much in the DC Universe, so there's no need to give it a scientific explanation, as it would retcon so much more than Wonder Woman's origins.