Beyoncé IS Wonder Woman

So, in the wake of President-elect Obama, Beyoncé announced to the L.A. Times last Thursday that she’s in talks with Warner Bros. to play Wonder Woman. This on the heels of rumors connecting Will Smith to Captain America for 2011, and Quantum of Solace 007 Daniel Craig giving his thumbs up for a black James Bond. Anything is possible in the land of the free and the home of the brave now, huh?

A lot to unwrap. Wonder Woman’s never had a movie before, in contrast to the multiple incarnations that Superman and Batman have gone through. Her TV show (1975-79) was the only success she’s had in a live-action forum. The reasons for this could be several, but let’s choose two. Is Wonder Woman actually that interesting? I mean, she certainly could be, I guess. That George Pérez run from the late 80s was probably the coolest stint of her whole comic run. She’s an Amazon emissary to the outside world, sent to right wrongs and etc. etc. She loves Steve Trevor but it never works out, blah blah. If DC Comics didn’t need a female to complete the Superman/Batman trinity, she might’ve been written off long ago. If I’d been a girl, I’m sure her whole story arc would be a lot more compelling and inspirational.

Point two is, women superhero movies don’t do well. There’s Elektra and Catwoman and what else? Maybe the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movies count; they actually made a lot. Any Wonder Woman flick is gonna need some super star power. Whether Beyoncé is a bigger draw than Angela Bassett (sorry, but Wonder Woman’s not 50 years old) or whatever other real actress who might do a better job is moot in the face of Hollywood’s bottom line: will it make money? Can Beyoncé act her way out a paper bag, even for a superhero movie? The better question (unfortunately) may be, can Beyoncé put butts in seats and open a movie by herself?

As far as all these white characters getting melanin injections, I say “why not?” The comic industry stemming back to the early 1900s was obviously very Waspy and whitebread, and the tide has turned very slowly. Sam Jackson is already Nick Fury for the Iron Man franchise and beyond; the Thing’s blind ladylove Alicia Masters is a sister in the sucky Fantastic Four films; Marvel and DC long ago recast Iron Man and Green Lantern as black characters, however temporarily.

And who would you rather see as a black Wonder Woman? There’s not a lot of black actresses out there…