Women Can Be Heroes Too?
Despite Joseph Cambell’s hero’s journey template being designed for a male-centered narrative, I will argue that his template can be applied to films with female main characters. One example of such a film is DC’s Wonder Woman (2017). Although Maureen Murdock and Victoria Lynn Schmitt created heroine’s journey templates for female main characters, Wonder Woman matches closer with Campbell’s template. This may be due to Wonder Woman, or Diana, playing the traditionally male role of a leading superhero. Diana plays a similar role in the movie as many male superheroes but with added dramatic hair flips, high heels, and general girlbossness. Pictured from left to right: woman as temptress, hero The movie begins by telling of Diana’s childhood. She was raised on Themyscria the island of the Amazons, Olympian women warriors, where she learns how to fight. Diana experiences a call to action when a British pilot, Steve Trevor, crashes on their island. He tells Diana about the ongo...