Every Actor Who Has Played Wonder Woman in DC’s Live-Action, Ranked

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She goes by many names, but most people would agree that Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, is the most famous female superhero in popular culture. Created in 1941, Diana has always been a powerful symbol of truth, justice, and strength, offering a refreshing change from the helpless women often featured in the comics of her male superhero peers. However, unlike characters like Superman or Batman, we haven’t seen her come to life in live-action films very often.

As we anticipate James Gunn’s plans to incorporate Princess Diana and her island home, Themyscira, into his DCU through movies and television, let’s review the actors who have portrayed Wonder Woman, highlighting both the best and the worst performances so far.

4) Cathy Lee Crosby, Wonder Woman TV Movie

While it was exciting to have a former tennis pro play the part, Cathy Lee Crosby’s Wonder Woman is quite different from the comic book character. In her first onscreen appearance – a TV movie on ABC in 1974 – she’s a blonde, lacks obvious superpowers, and doesn’t wear the iconic costume associated with Princess Diana. It shares little more than the character’s name and secret identity with the DC Comics version.

Instead, Diana is selected by the other Amazons to venture out and demonstrate “the value of women” to the world. She does this by helping government agent Steve Trevor retrieve codebooks containing secret information about his colleagues from a rather unremarkable villain named Abner Smith. Crosby’s performance is adequate, but her portrayal of Wonder Woman differs significantly from the character we admire, and the film lacks enough action, placing her at the bottom of our ranking.

3) Adrianne Palicki, Unaired Wonder Woman TV Pilot

Adrianne Palicki’s portrayal of Wonder Woman stayed true to the classic image of the Amazonian princess, even though the TV series never actually aired. We believe the 2011 Wonder Woman series wasn’t continued because the writer, David E. Kelley, split her personality into three separate parts. There was the superhero herself, then Diana Themyscira, a businesswoman who managed both the Wonder Woman brand and a company dedicated to fighting crime. Finally, she also created the persona of Diana Prince, an everyday woman who enjoyed simple pleasures like her cat and romantic comedies.

We absolutely believe Palicki – who has become well-known for her roles in shows like The Orville, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the first John Wick movie – did everything she could with the script she received. However, the first episode attempted to cover too much ground with the character, instead of concentrating on the essential ideas and qualities that initially made her so appealing. Furthermore, the initial revealing costume design sparked significant negative reactions online after it was leaked. The replacement – a corset and leggings – unfortunately resembled a Halloween outfit more than practical superhero gear.

2) Gal Gadot, The DC Extended Universe

When Zack Snyder revealed that Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot would play Diana in Batman vs. Superman, we were hopeful but waited to see how she’d perform alongside Henry Cavill’s Superman and Ben Affleck’s Batman. While she didn’t have a large role in that film, Gadot did a solid job. However, it was in her own movie, Wonder Woman, that Gadot truly impressed viewers, bringing a captivating warmth and emotional complexity to the character. This helped make the film a huge success with both audiences and critics.

I have to admit, while I initially loved Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman – her performance felt so empowering – it didn’t quite hold up over time, even though she played the role from 2016 to 2023. Some of her line deliveries in Joss Whedon’s Justice League became instant meme material, and honestly, her performance in Wonder Woman 1984 wasn’t her strongest, and that movie had a lot of issues overall. Still, I think we really need to acknowledge Gadot for proving Wonder Woman could be a box office success and for successfully bringing the character into the 21st century in a way that really connected with women at first.

1) Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman TV Series (1975-1979)

When people think of a live-action Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter is often considered the best. Carter starred as the hero for three seasons in the now-famous Wonder Woman series, which remains a key part of both the character’s history and 1970s television. More than just looking the part, Carter brought a genuine sincerity and power to her portrayal of both Diana and Wonder Woman, capturing the character’s essential goodness and balancing out the show’s more playful aspects. (Interestingly, Carter was the one who originally conceived of Wonder Woman’s iconic transformation from everyday clothes to her superhero costume.)

Even while wearing a very tight costume, Lynda Carter showed everyone that a woman could be a hero without giving up her bravery, attractiveness, or kindness. Wonder Woman hasn’t been on television for nearly fifty years, yet we are still hoping to find an actress who can match Carter’s iconic red boots. Wonder Woman remains a powerful symbol. Carter’s performance was truly legendary.

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2025-10-02 15:13