Wonder Woman 1984: Blockbuster movie’s body swap plot point causing debate

It managed to fly under the radar upon its anticipated sequel release, but a plot point in Wonder Woman 1984 is causing controversy.

As far as sequels go, Wonder Woman 1984 was up high on the anticipated list.

After several delays, the Warner Bros film was released in theatres in December, and has just dropped early on Foxtel’s Store today ahead of the three-month release window.

And while reviews were favourable among fans of the first 2017 film who were yearning for a blockbuster-worthy release, a point about one of the film’s plots is slowly gaining traction.

The plot in question sees Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) taking over the body of a character known as “handsome man”, after Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) uses the Dreamstone to wish for his return from the dead.

RELATED: Wonder Woman 1984 was a blockbuster worth waiting for

Wonder Woman 1984. Picture: Clay Enos/DC Comics/Warner Bros

One scene insinuates the couple had sex after they wake up in bed together, with some viewers having raised issues around consent about the random man whose body Steve inhabited.

Pop culture website The Mary Sue went as far as describing the incident as “rape” or at best “fantasy rape”, while countless users took to social media to call out the storyline.

WW84 director Patty Jenkins responded to criticism on Twitter in late December, retweeting a tweet from the account @DustyDontShoot, who had fiercely defended furore over the body swap.

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Hahaha. Exactly @DustyDontShoot!! https://t.co/83cm3Uhb9t

— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) December 30, 2020

The tweet links WW84’s body swap trope to the likes of 1988 Tom Hanks film Big, in which a child is in the body of an adult and has sex with an adult woman. It also points out that Diana revoking the wish meant she and the mystery man never actually slept together.

But users quickly hit back at Jenkins, with one declaring the correlation “false equivalence”.

False equivalence. In bodyswap movies it's generally an even swap, the moral of the story is almost always about learning what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes, and there's rarely implied sexual contact. Plus "someone else did it too" is never a valid defence. Do better.

— Zachary Coleman (@ZacharyDColeman) January 19, 2021

"Another film did it so its fine" logic

— Ù‹ (@pIeasantvilIe) December 30, 2020

Wow, Patty, seriously? I didn't like the movie, which I'm allowed BTW, but now after reading this defense, I don't know what to make of the movie anymore. The more I've read about #ww84 since the 25th, the worse I've found it to be. This tweet does it for me. WW84 - Abomination.

— Manfredi Johnson (@ManfrediJohnson) January 4, 2021

I’m sorry, Patty, I enjoyed the film and respect you as a filmmaker but I feel like this take and these empty comparisons don’t hold up. And the nonchalant laughing response legitimising them is as problematic as the film’s element itself. It should’ve been properly addressed.

— Jay Thomas (@GroundhogJay_) January 4, 2021

Others though didn’t see an issue with the plot point.

Can't believe this body swap thing is an issue

— Matt ʬ⁸⁴ (@mattbo_0) December 30, 2020

It's easier than that. The man's soul WASN'T in his body at the time. Same thing happened in MEET JOE BLACK and there wasn't an outrage then. Shouldn't be now.

— Lester Medina López (@justicieroJLA3) December 31, 2020

Further clarification: Patty’s ‘ha ha ha’ is directed towards the the fact that mainstream audiences fully accepted these odd tropes in the 80s with out critical evaluation ie Big, Quantum Leap, 18 Again, All of Me... google these movies

— Dustin Philipson (@DustyDontshoot) January 2, 2021

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below …

Wonder Woman 1984 is available to purchase on Foxtel Store