Among the most intriguing elements in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was the Wonder Woman, and we were thrilled to see the subtle hints about her origin story. She is not a superhero running around to protect the people, but, she is a calm and reserved lady who is spying around Lex Luthor’s mansion in ordinary clothes. She is not even aiming to counter the mega plans, rather, she is focused only on retrieving a photograph that might uncover his secret identity.
These hints suggest that the Diana Prince seen in the film is a disenchanted lady who has renounced her superhero duties and that’s something which Gal Gadot had confirmed before the release of the Batman v Superman.
We wonder what might have compelled Diana to put away the Lasso of Truth?
The Reluctant Hero
Towards the end of Dawn of Justice, Diana and Bruce Wayne had struck an agreement to search for the other metahumans, and this is likely to lead to the formation of the Justice League. Although, Diana expressed her uncertainty about that when she told Bruce:
“Maybe they don’t want to be found.”
Since she had herself tried to keep her real identity hidden from Lex Luthor throughout the movie, it is quite obvious that Diana understands and respects the privacy of metahumans. Still, we know that she is going to give in to Bruce’s plans because if she didn’t then, there could not have been a Justice League.
A Century Of Horrors
It is true that Diana is disillusioned with humanity and the fact that she is a WWI veteran only makes it obvious.
The World War I is an incredibly dark, destructive and traumatic period for most of whom who were directly a witness or a part of it. While Diana “has trained her whole life for war,” even she couldn’t have coped with the psychological devastation caused by the inhuman conditions of the battlefront during the WWI.
We have already seen how Diana was right on the frontlines of the battles during the WWI and lost a lot of people close to her. She comes from a utopian world where all the Amazonians have equally long lifespans. Therefore, the deaths are an incomprehensible trauma for her. Since Steve Trevor is the guy who brought her into our world, his death would have truly pushed her into despair and feeling that the problems of the humanity can’t be solved.
However, it is not as if Diana saw combat during only WWI. Her cryptic references in Batman v Superman clearly suggest that she has been witness to many other wars fought by humans.
“A hundred years ago I walked away from mankind. A century full of horrors… Mankind made a world where standing together is impossible.”
Out of all those, how many wars saw her in action? How long did Diana endure it all before giving up on humanity? It is not difficult to be sympathetic to her line of thinking: anyone who spends decades on the battlefield will become disenchanted about the causes and the sides of a battle.
Let’s just hope that Wonder Woman will wander around and wear out the effects of Diana’s longevity. In the end, as the director Petty Jenkins said, the film will underscore her optimism about a better future.
“The best thing about Wonder Woman is how good and kind and loving she is, and yet none of that negates her power.”
We don’t know how things will shape up. However, we can understand that despite Diana giving up her superhero role, her hopes and passion will soon bring her back to take up the superhero mantle again.
