Wonder Womandirector Patty Jenkins wants to hit the bull’s-eye with her entry into the DC Cinematic Universe this summer.

“I’m hoping that it hits a lot of different marks,” she tells the Sun down the line from Los Angeles as she puts the finishing touches on the film.

The debut for one of comicdom’s oldest and most revered characters in her first solo movie has a lot riding on it. It’s the fourth film in the growing DCEU and the Amazonian princess (played by Gal Gadot) was considered the lone bright spot in Zack Snyder’s critically maligned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

“I hope it’s a film that satisfies on every level,” says Jenkins, who directed Charlize Theron in 2003's Oscar-winning Monster. “That’s what I’m aiming for. I want something that’s a great journey, that makes you fall in love with Wonder Woman, that has a good love story and is thrilling and exciting. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Wonder Woman (opening June 2) is a watershed moment for the superhero film genre. It’s the first big-screen adventure for a female superhero in over a decade. It’s also hitting theatres two years before Marvel releases its first female-centred superhero film.

Oh, and it’s also directed by a woman.

“You have to think you’re the right person to make these superhero films because they’re important to people,” says Jenkins. “People love these characters. I take that as seriously as everyone else because I’m probably the perfect market for this film.”

In a Canadian exclusive, Jenkins talked to the Sun about creating a different type of superhero movie, her idea for Wonder Woman 2 and why fans should be excited for the rest of what’s coming in the DC Cinematic World.

You tried to make Wonder Woman 10 years ago. How was your pitch then different from what fans are going to see in June?

I think my pitch then was, ‘I want to do the origin story of Wonder Woman.’ So nothing has changed. I was open to different ways of reintroducing her character to the world, but I always thought the origin story would be the great way to go. I love origin superhero stories and I love the simplicity you can have with that journey. Also, there was the fact that no one had done her story and the fact that I love her. So it was a treasure trove of potential.

Why did you set the film during the First World War?

Even though her origin in the comics is in the Second World War — which is when many of her contemporaries were born — I thought the First World War was especially exciting. Most of our society doesn’t know anything about WWI, which was such an interesting war.

Gal’s co-star Chris Pine says the movie has a Casablanca feel. Care to expand on that?

I went into this asking, ‘What is the potential that we have with Wonder Woman? How can we make that different and exciting?’ I loved [Richard Donner’s] Superman and classic cinema. There’s something about the earnestness and the grandiosity of that approach that I don’t feel is something I’ve been seeing recently. It felt like a great, fun, unique way to go about it. Her story naturally avails itself to a great love story and all of the things that genre comes with.

What makes Gal perfect for the role?

Every attribute that one wants and needs from Wonder Woman comes so naturally and easily to Gal. She’s supernaturally beautiful and unbelievably kind and thoughtful and intelligent and wise, yet bright and youthful and hopeful, in such a sweet way. And she’s a super hard worker and an incredibly talented actress. You couldn’t ask for better than that combination of things.

Tell us how you’re mixing CGI and practical effects in a film that is set during the First World War?

We’re definitely going for photo real. I think the exciting thing is to bring all of the trappings of a superhero movie into a very photo-real world. Chris Nolan did that so beautifully in the Dark Knight series. There were a lot of practical effects and yet you’re creating this third reality that can hold a superhero story. We were in England, shooting a story that takes place in England with incredible landscapes and locations available to us... It brings something to it to have a real cold wind blowing and mud beneath your feet rather than being on a set in CG land.

What about the villain, Ares?

The villain just wants the war to continue. He’s infiltrated himself into the war and he’s leading a movement to create a type of mustard gas to keep the war going forever. He’s just a war monger and a classic character from Wonder Woman lore.

What was it like joining a superhero film universe where you know that every little detail is under a microscope?

The part of being the person to take the helm of something so important, that I understood years before I got involved because even when I took on Thor (Jenkins was attached to direct Thor: The Dark World) I felt that responsibility. I knew it was a big deal and I think that played a part as to why that didn’t work out. I ultimately didn’t feel like I was the right person for the story that (Marvel) wanted to do. That’s important.

As far as the interest for every little detail in what we’re doing, it’s been a trip... it’s pretty hilarious and interesting how much conversation there is about every possible thing you could be doing. I just looked on IMDB today and it said our running time is three hours long. Our running time is nowhere near that. But people stick information all over the place and these conversations start to pop up. It’s fascinating to watch that curiosity.

Was there any talk of doing Wonder Woman as an R-rated film?

I would never do that for this movie. I think it’s great for the movies that have done it; Deadpool helped to create a new tone in the superhero genre and it was groundbreaking. But in this case, I only ever would have gone in the other direction. I know what this movie could mean to little girls and I know that they are going to want to see it and so I want to protect them, so it’s a PG-13 movie. I went out of my way not to be graphic and protect those younger girls who are going to want to see the film. I was thoughtful of them all along.

Did you have to worry about staying in sync with all the other storylines in the DC Cinematic Universe?

I was very free because our movie pre-dates all of that. So as long as Zack and I both understood the trajectory of where Wonder Woman goes and it makes sense in her future in his films, then I was free to tell whatever story I wanted.

Where do you want to see Wonder Woman go in a sequel? Is that something you’ve been thinking about?

I’m excited for her to come to America and become the Wonder Woman we are all familiar with from having grown up around her as an American superhero. I’d like to bring her a little farther along into the future and have a fun, exciting storyline that is its own thing. Wonder Woman 1 is so much about her becoming the person she is. I can’t wait to spring forward with who she is and have another great standalone superhero film.

What should excite fans most about DC’s upcoming slate of films?

I think there’s a lot of directors doing cool things. I know the storylines for a lot of the films they are working on and they are all vastly different, with very different tones and very different styles of storytelling. I think there’s a treasure trove of great characters here. Jason (Momoa) is off to shoot Aquaman right now and that’s such a cool story. It’s got its own separate vibe. I’m excited to see each of these films.

There have been rumblings that Joss Whedon might be set to write and direct Batgirl. What do you think of his addition to the DC family?

I think it’s super exciting. The tone of Joss’ work is great for female superheroes. He takes such a fun approach and I think he’ll have fun in the DC universe, which will be excited to have him.

Seeing as you already have an idea for Wonder Woman 2, when can we expect that?

No idea. These movies take a lot of time. If it’s successful, I think it would be a mistake just to try and speed it up to cash in. I don’t think that’s how great movies are made. So when it’s possible, it’ll happen.

Twitter: @markhdaniell

MDaniell@postmedia.com