Patty Jenkins responds to controversial Surprise Girl 1984 plot level

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD

Whether or not you love or hate Wonder Woman 1984 (at present taking part in in choose theaters and accessible to stream on HBO Max) one factor’s for certain — Steve Trevor (performed by Chris Pine) getting back from the useless is a weird twist.

In any case, when Steve died on the finish of 2017’s Wonder Woman movie — a narrative set nearly 70 years earlier than 1984 — followers might need been confused how he not solely survived his loss of life but additionally by no means aged. 

Now Surprise Girl 1984 director Patty Jenkins is defending the controversial option to convey his character again into Diana Prince/Surprise Girl’s life for the brand new film.

The Surprise Girl 1984 plot revolves round a particular artifact referred to as the Dreamstone that has the ability to grant one want for whoever holds it — form of just like the horror story idea of the magical Monkey’s Paw. While you want for one thing, there’s all the time some strings hooked up.

In any case, it was the God of Lies who gave the stone its energy within the first place. When the Dreamstone grants a want, it then takes one thing else of equal significance from the wisher. Nevertheless, earlier than totally understanding the devious quid professional quo nature of the stone, Diana Prince/Surprise Girl (Gal Gadot) needs for the return of Steve and, the subsequent day, he returns. 

However here is the place it will get difficult within the film. Steve is not precisely the identical man she remembers from her previous. The truth is, Steve has mainly taken over the physique of somebody who already exists. And he did not get consent first both. Additionally, simply to make it additional complicated, Steve appears like this completely different particular person (performed by actor Kristoffer Polaha) to everybody else. 

One other very problematic level right here is that if Steve is not actually Steve, meaning Surprise Girl is probably getting bodily with a stranger and never her beloved Steve. Although within the film it is implied, there is not any precise intercourse scene between the 2 characters.

The dearth of consent is what received loads of followers up in arms concerning the film. Jenkins could possibly be merely taking part in with that well-known story trope of characters body-swapping as within the films Big and Freaky Friday, the place consent is just not given. 

This “body-swapping with out character consent” plot system has been utilized in films, TV reveals, comics and video video games for many years, and particularly prevalent in leisure from the ’80s. However that is an period the place that outdated body-swapping with out consent plot system won’t be as politically appropriate because it as soon as was.

A fan named Dustin Philipson on Twitter came to Jenkins’ defense concerning the body-swapping in Surprise Girl 1984 saying that not solely is that this a typical plot system in fiction, but additionally on this explicit story the body-swapping was “undone” when folks took again their needs.

Whereas Jenkins didn’t supply any further perception into the plot system utilized in Surprise Girl 1984, she did agree with the fan tweet by responding with “Hahaha. Precisely @DustyDontShoot!!” 

It will have been extra perfect for Jenkins to supply extra of her personal ideas concerning the body-swap system, however for now, this can function some clarification for the shortage of consent throughout bodyswaps.

As anticipated, some followers responded to Jenkins’ retweet with their very own theories.

There’s additionally an assumption they’d intercourse by these capturing it down. There’s nothing within the story or visuals that means they did.
I might be fairly exhausted and overwhelmed if my lengthy misplaced love reappeared. Id go out after that lengthy night. Even on an uncomfortable futon.

— Adele Okay. Thomas🦄 Illustrator (@AdeleKThomas) December 30, 2020

Truly,I believe it’s displaying that Diana had a second of weak spot; that provides to the complexity of her character’s make-up. She finally realizes she gone down a fallacious path and rescinds what she did

— Dustin Philipson (@DustyDontshoot) December 30, 2020

It provides to the complexity of a culturally beloved superhero to have them try this with a man towards their will? Who the hell went “That is what WW must make her extra advanced!”?
And mentioning that Massive is doubtful is not some important revelation, people have identified that for YEARS.

— Richard (@RichardOcelot) January 3, 2021

I believe the extra clear trace she was being weak and egocentric concerning the state of affairs was when she wished to put with Steve and neglect the world and it’s Steve who reminds her that the state of affairs needs to be investigated. I favored that however I believe extra of that’s missing within the story #ww84

— Marco Antonio Nájera 🇲🇽 #RestoreTheSnyderVerse (@manthx) December 30, 2020

At no level may anybody who has seen the movie (nor the movie itself) argue that Diana’s want & what it was doing to herself & to a stranger wasn’t fallacious & that she did not must resign her want, & let each Steve & this different man, go. It was very clear that there have been prices.

— Princess Winter 🧜👸#AP4SnydersUniverse (@SuperWinterGirl) December 30, 2020

Undone? Missiles and the partitions all left particles when unwished, additionally in Washington DC when Max appears for his child which means all bodily results of needs stay. So all bodily intimacy together with kisses weren’t undone. Simply admit it was an oversight. Cease defending this nonesense.

— Frederick Vinas (@Frederick_Vinas) December 31, 2020

Plus, I might point out that the favored sequence Quantum Leap performed with a model of this Trope each time Sam Beckett had a love scene.

— JLanz42 (@JLanz42) December 30, 2020

You all perceive a trope can nonetheless be dangerous, proper? That “it is a trope” is not truly any form of significant protection? And that lots of people truly do have an issue with that twist in BIG? Folks had issues with it *on the time, too*. Not simply after-the-fact years later.

— LaT ⚖💖💜💙 (@latxcvi) December 31, 2020