Studio Fears Killed Female Superhero Movies for Years
Wonder Woman director reveals how past box office disasters created a decade-long reluctance among Hollywood executives to greenlight female-led superhero projects.
The superhero movie explosion didn't happen overnight. Studios spent years figuring out what worked and what didn't. Male-dominated action films proved profitable, reaching worldwide audiences and spawning massive franchises. Female superheroes? That was a different story entirely.
Most superhero blockbusters followed a proven formula. Male protagonists. High-octane action sequences. Clear good-versus-evil narratives that audiences could escape into. Women typically appeared as supporting characters or romantic interests. When female heroes did get their own films, studio executives approached these projects with extreme caution.
Box Office Disasters That Changed Everything
Two major flops shaped Hollywood's thinking for years. Halle Berry's Catwoman bombed in 2004. Elektra followed suit in 2005. Both films failed to connect with audiences or critics, leaving studio heads wary of investing in similar projects.
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins witnessed this hesitation firsthand. Speaking with Glamour, she described the uphill battle she faced convincing executives to back her vision. "They were all freaked out by all the female superhero films that had failed, the smaller ones that had failed," Jenkins explained. "Also, Christopher Nolan was making the Dark Knight thing, so I think they were just trying to figure out what they were doing with DC at that time."
Fighting Studio Interference
Jenkins encountered resistance from day one. Studios wanted to reshape Wonder Woman into something darker, grittier. They pushed for a different approach based on what they thought would sell. "Even when I first joined Wonder Woman, it was like, 'Uhh, yeah, OK, but let's do it this other way,'" she recalled.
The director stood her ground. "But I was like, 'Women don't want to see that. Her being harsh and tough and cutting people's heads off.... I'm a Wonder Woman fan, that's not what we're looking for.'" Jenkins could sense the nervous energy from studio executives throughout the process.
Breaking Through the Barriers
The project had already failed under another director's guidance. When studios approached Jenkins about taking over, she insisted on doing things her way. The gamble paid off spectacularly.
Jenkins' instincts proved correct. Wonder Woman became a massive success, proving that female-led superhero films could draw huge audiences when executed properly. The film's triumph opened doors for other projects that had been stuck in development limbo for years.