'Wonder Woman' Director Michelle McLaren Quit Over Warrior Princess' Tiger Sidekick
After news broke out director Michelle McLaren stepped down early this week from the "Wonder Woman" remake, information emerged she had quit over "creative differences."
When director Michelle McLaren suddenly relinquished the helm of the new "Wonder Woman" movie Monday, the reason for her quitting was said to be the result of friction over the project, most notably Warner Bros. vetoing her version of the titular character having a tiger sidekick.
Badass Digest recently released a report citing the "creative differences" McLaren had with the studio since the beginning of the project, including the time period for the film, and her take on Wonder Woman having a sidekick in the form of a pet tiger, elements which Warner Bros. felt would alienate fans of the Justice League Amazon princess.
According to the report, McLaren's vision of a tiger sidekick was an intelligent pet Wonder Woman, played by "Fast & Furious" actress Gal Gadot, could talk to and interact with, a narrative that has never been portrayed in the comics version.
McLaren may have been referencing the powers Wonder Woman has been known to display, including psychic abilities, which in later comic book publications took on the "Eyes of the Hunter" power, giving Diana Prince an ability to communicate with animals.
Based on the official images released by Warner Bros., Gal Gadot appears to imbue a more serious and intense character, which compounded by a rugged and utilitarian costume, give credence to her role as a hardcore Amazon warrior. Having a tiger follow her around may have been McLaren's take on Wonder Woman's wild nature.
The tone for the Wonder Woman character won't be set by the solo film, however, but will emerge in the Zack Snyder-helmed "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" where the warrior princess will first be introduced when the film hits theaters on March 25 next year.
"Wonder Woman" which is still due out on June 23, 2017 as scheduled, will be taken over by Patty Jenkins who directed "Monster," the 2003 film that won a best acting Oscar for Charlize Theron.