It couldn’t have been easy, stepping into the iconic role played by Lynda Carter, but Gal Gadot has made Wonder Woman her own. She became a fan favorite and proved that she was worthy of donning the golden bracelets when she teamed up with the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in last year’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Next summer, she’ll take center stage as the star of “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins.

Variety spoke with Gadot about the character’s legacy and what fans can expect.

What’s the secret of Wonder Woman’s appeal?

She’s relatable. She has the heart of a human and is very compassionate, but her experiences — or lack of them, her naiveté, really — make her interested in everything around her and able to view the world in a way that we’d all like to: with a genuine curiosity.

Do you think it was important to have a female director for “Wonder Woman”?

I don’t think it’s a gender kind of thing. Maybe because we’re telling a story of a girl growing up and becoming a woman, it’s easier for it to be told by someone who was once a girl and became a woman. I feel like Patty Jenkins was the right person for the movie because she was the right person for the movie. She knew exactly how she wanted to tell her story. She knew exactly what she wanted to get. She’s brilliant and smart and so passionate.

“We cared a lot about simplifying Wonder Woman’s agenda, because it is simple. It was her heart that we cared about, not her being this warrior.” Gal Gadot

What was Jenkins’ vision for telling Wonder Woman’s story?

For her it was very important to not just portray her as a goddess, but to tell a very simple story of someone who believes in good and believes that people should be happy and lead safe, happy lives. We cared a lot about simplifying Wonder Woman’s agenda, because it is simple. It was her heart that we cared about, not her being this warrior. When you tell a story from the heart, all of us can relate, because all of us want to live in a safe, quiet, and peaceful world.

Greg Rucka, a longtime writer of “Wonder Woman,” believes the character is bisexual. He reasons that because she lived on Themyscira, which is populated solely by women, she must have had gay relationships. Is Wonder Woman bisexual in the film?

It’s not something we’ve explored. It never came to the table, but when you talk theoretically about all the women on Themyscira and how many years she was there, then what he said makes sense. In this movie she does not experience any bisexual relationships. But it’s not about that. She’s a woman who loves people for who they are. She can be bisexual. She loves people for their hearts.

How long does it take to put on Wonder Woman’s costume, and how does it feel to be dressed up like that?

It takes me five minutes to take it off and 20 minutes to put the entire costume on. I’ve spent a year in it, from “Batman v Superman” to “Justice League” to [“Wonder Woman”]. From one movie to the next, it got more and more comfortable. I love the way it looks, but it didn’t feel comfortable at the beginning. I feel better in it now, which was super important because the role is so physical.

What’s your favorite Wonder Woman weapon?

I like the lasso of truth. There is something so beautiful about the fact that people have to tell the truth when they have the lasso around them. And it’s not too violent.

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