It was announced a few months ago that TV network The CW was developing a new Wonder Woman pilot entitled Amazon and thanks to a Deadline reporter who managed to get their hands on a copy of the casting sheet for the superhero character, we have found out some more details on what Allan Heinberg (Gilmore Girls), who has been tapped to write the new script, has in store for the new incarnation.
It appears Heinberg is taking the character back to the beginning with a retelling of her origin, delivering a new take on the heroine, now renamed Iris. The character description being used in the casting process asks for an actress that is 5’8″ or taller and gives the following brief…
“She comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted – and just as often horrified – by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling – to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn’t have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see – and things to learn – and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.”
The CW network has a rich history of creating successful superhero dramas such as Smallville, which centred on the life of a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he made his transition from boy to man in order to fulfil his destiny as Superman. It currently airs Arrow, which follows another DC superhero Green Arrow and is the channel’s biggest hit in years, so the signs for a successful Wonder Woman TV adaptation are looking very good.
Update: Responding to outrage from fans over the possible name change, DC’s CCO Geoff Johns has subsequently posted the following response via Twitter:
If a WW show happens her name is of course DIANA. Codenames (like IRIS) are used in casting a lot to try and avoid speculation. #TV101 🙂
— Geoff Johns (@geoffjohns) November 30, 2012