Gal Gadot's real-life version of Wonder Woman is what makes her perfect for the role of the Amazonian princess
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. As different as chalk and cheese, both characters redefine badassery. One is insane, awesomely and anti-heroically crazy while the other is probably what the new-gen DC fans aspire to be.
'Suicide Squad' gave a glimpse of Quinn's past and the transformation towards that Quinn-sanity. With 'Birds of Prey's early reviews out, it looks like Robbie, fresh off the awards and some impeccable performances, has managed to stun the world again in playing an imperfect and complex character with consummate ease.
However, she's got some major competition coming up with Gal Gadot suiting up to save the world — Themysciran style. Noble, brave, courageous and with knight-like qualities — you name it and she's probably the living embodiment of it.
Gadot's Diana Prince showed up in the DC Universe with her own-standalone film a year after the forgettable 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'.
The character was an integral part of the final, decisive showdown against the movie's villain Doomsday and fans had every reason to call her the lone bright star in the damp squib of a film.
And as much as people hate to admit it, most of them who swooned over Gadot's Diana recognized her as Giselle from the 'Fast & Furious' franchise.
Lean, mean, sexy and tough, Gadot's limited history as part of the Israeli army (courtesy the Jericho 941 she pulls out) and her own stunts made her a mysterious, yet much-adored character despite her final appearance in 'Fast & Furious 6'.
Gadot as an Amazonian had fans swimming in a pool of skepticism. And while some may call this a stretch, what makes her the perfect fit to play the character was the way she embraced Diana Prince.
Perhaps, a disciplined military background played its part, but for the larger picture, Gadot seemed to have embodied almost every single quality Diana was known for in the rich comic history she boasted of.
Wonder Woman fans will know what we're talking about here. This was a character who willed to ride the tide no matter how big or stay true to her ideals, irrespective of the compromises that loomed overhead.
If this phrase comes as too much of a praise, we're sorry, but that's just who Diana Prince is. And Gadot nailed it when she understood the persona of a warrior princess. Perhaps, in her mind, she knew that this would not just cement her as DC's formidable woman superhero, but would also go a long way in making the character her own.
Switching between franchises, there are actors in Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson who've made their on-screen superhero personas their own and one of the reasons they were able to do so was the timeframe they had to blend into the character.
That Gadot managed to do it in a span of a year, especially when the DC franchise switched actors to play their titular heroes on a regular basis, is beyond commendable.
In her many interviews after the staggering success of 'Wonder Woman', Gadot has continually outlined the need to play characters who set an example. Wonder Woman was one of them.
Girls love her, teenagers dig her and women laud the superhero for her qualities. For the actor, it was about setting an example to her daughter, Alma.
Winding back the clock to her interview with Glamour, Gadot said: "She has so many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence."
"She's loving. I think women are amazing for being able to show what they feel. I admire women who do. I think it’s a mistake when women cover their emotions to look tough. I say let's own who we are and use it as a strength."
Get what we mean when we said comic geeks get this. This was Gadot embracing the character at a whole, new level. That she put on some lean muscle tissue to look the part was probably a walk in the park compared to her deep connection with the character.
It was when critics saw her on the screen that terms like "lithe", "skinny" and "very thin" were put to rest.
Call it surreal theory, but a closer look at the way Gadot approached the role shows that she looked at Diana as someone to mirror and possibly try and replicate the traits off-screen.
That part when she says "strengths and powers" — it just means she wanted to be the hero she was essaying. And that is a trigger for some transformational acting which is pretty inspiring.
Ahead of 'Wonder Woman 1984', Gadot has given the world something to look forward to. It marks the return of DC's noblest character and it is refreshing and interesting to see what Gadot brings to screen in the highly-anticipated sequel.
'Wonder Woman 1984' releases on June 4, 2020.