Wonder Woman’s Ending Is Still Annoying After Almost a Decade (And It Was Almost Perfect)

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By June 2, 2017, DC’s superhero films needed a success. The previous movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, had received harsh reviews in 2016, and the positive feeling from Man of Steel was fading. That’s when Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins and written by Allan Heinberg, arrived. The film was a critical and commercial hit, earning a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and making over $821 million worldwide on a $149 million budget. What really worked was the fun dynamic between the naive Amazonian warrior, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), and the down-to-earth American spy, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). The movie’s World War I setting also gave the action more emotional impact, and the scene of Diana crossing No Man’s Land became iconic in the superhero genre.

While Wonder Woman has many strong points, its ending doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The film starts with Wonder Woman believing the god of war, Ares, is causing World War I, and she sets out to stop him. However, throughout her journey, she witnesses firsthand that soldiers are capable of terrible acts on their own, without any divine influence. The movie also highlights the disagreement between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, who points out that cruelty and arrogance are simply part of human nature, and that war has always been a recurring problem. This created a compelling conflict, forcing Wonder Woman to question her beliefs and realize the world is more complex than she initially thought. Unfortunately, the movie throws away all this thoughtful development in its final twenty minutes.

Wonder Woman Wasted the Perfect Twist

Upon rewatching Wonder Woman, it’s clear the original intention was for the film to reveal that Ares had no part in starting World War I. The story skillfully set up a powerful moment where Diana would realize that evil comes from within humanity itself, not from a god manipulating events. This would have then challenged her to choose to protect people anyway, making her decision far more impactful. The comics portray Wonder Woman as hopeful despite human flaws, and simply blaming Ares avoids a more complex and interesting moral dilemma. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. reportedly made director Patty Jenkins alter the ending, resulting in a less compelling conclusion.

Jenkins explained that the studio interfered with her vision for Marc Maron’s WTF podcast appearance. She said the only demand they made was that her character never transform into Ares. The core idea of the film was to build to the reveal of the ‘monster’ only to have him claim innocence. However, the studio initially said they’d allow her to stick to that plan, but then began hinting they might want Ares to actually appear. Jenkins felt pressured as the deadline approached and ultimately was told she had to include the transformation, despite her protests that there wasn’t enough time.

Ultimately, the movie delivers exactly what audiences have come to expect from many superhero films – a visually impressive but ultimately dull spectacle. While the rushed production is noticeable, the core issue is the story itself. Once the villain, Ares, reveals he caused the war, Diana’s internal struggle is easily resolved, and she realizes she was right all along – that defeating evil restores order. This ending diminishes the impact of Steve Trevor’s sacrifice, turning a meaningful act of human choice into a simple plot device. Most importantly, it undermines Diana’s growth as a character; confirming she was right about Ares means she didn’t actually learn or evolve throughout her journey.

Wonder Woman is currently available to stream on Max.

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2026-06-02 19:45