Gal Gadot Describes Wearing Wonder Woman Costume For First Time

Being cast one of the most well-known superheroes of all time is a feat all its own, but oftentimes the point isn’t driven home until an actor suits up for the first time. Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman all received costume upgrades ahead of their debut in the new shared DCEU. Fan reception varies wildly as new super suits are revealed based on whether or not they are lifted directly from the pages of comics or have been given upgrades based on context or new technology.

Regardless of the amount of work that is put into making functioning costumes, it is up to the actors to make everything look believable. After WB released the latest trailer for Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot wears the suit like a second skin. Her motions are fluid in the battle sequences and her confidence in that suit vs how awkward she is in “civilian clothes” shows how a great superhero suit can make a world of difference.

While some actors have awe-inspiring moments when they suit up for the first time, like Ezra Miller’s first time in The Flash suit, others are very practical in their reactions. Which tends to happen when the outfit is incredibly over-the-top or when it just isn’t comfortable. At Rhode Island Comic Con, Comic Book Movie notes that Gal Gadot’s first test in Wonder Woman’s garb was definitely one of the latter. She described a mix of discomfort and excitement, saying:

“The very-very first time I tried the costume on was three days after I got cast. They flew me to Michigan, and I got into this huge hangar… With tons of white walls covered with posters of me as Wonder Woman. I got into the room and I couldn’t stop looking at the posters. And then, when they wanted me to try on the costume — because I was so excited that they cast me for the role — I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t breathe, but I was like, ‘That’s okay. That’s fine.'”

Despite being one of the better reviewed characters from Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, there was a lot of blow-back at Gadot’s initial casting as the iconic Amazon princess. Many critics and fans alike jumped straight to body-shaming Gadot, claiming her build was too think to play Wonder Woman. However, her ability to outshine both Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in the massive battle sequence at the end of BvS really put a lot of fears to rest.

Costume designer, Michael Wilkinson, mentioned that the biggest challenge of Wonder Woman’s new look was pulling together elements of Greek and Roman armor while also giving Gadot a flexible, breathable suit she could fight in. Ahead of production, Wilkinson said that director Zack Snyder wanted her to look “gritty, battle-scarred, and immortal.” Comfortable was notably absent from the list of wants, but Gadot says they eventually got that part right too, adding:

“[At first], it was really, really tight, and we adjusted it. And I love the costume. I think, it complements Wonder Woman very much so, as being the greatest warrior out there. And now it’s much more comfortable.”

KEY RELEASE DATES
Wonder Woman release date: Jun 2, 2017
Justice League release date: Nov 17, 2017
The Flash Movie release date: Mar 16, 2018
Aquaman release date: Jul 27, 2018
Shazam! release date: Apr 5, 2019
Cyborg release date: Apr 3, 2020
Green Lantern Corps. release date: Jul 24, 2020