'Wonder Woman' release date, news: director Patty Jenkins explains film's WWI setting

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" might be a superhero grudge match focusing on Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill), but there's no doubt that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman stole the show. Viewers loved the character, and she was definitely one of the highlights of the film. Wonder Woman's past wasn't explored in that film, but an image of the heroine standing beside a squad of soldiers hinted that she saw some action during World War I.

Now, fans will get to know more about Princess Diana of Themyscira when "Wonder Woman" premieres on June 2, 2017. In an interview with Empire, director Patty Jenkins talked about the reason why the film was set during WWI.

"My approach was to focus on telling the story of mechanised war and how that would look to a god visiting our world for the first time. I wanted the audience to understand the horrors that a war on this scale makes possible and how shocking that would be to someone who comes with a strong sense of honour and justice. She doesn't realise yet just how senselessly dark the world can be," she stated.

Since this is probably the first time that Diana will interact with the outside world, Jenkins wanted her to see the horrors that man is capable.

Jenkins went on to talk about how the film was going to be a "coming-of-age story" for Wonder Woman. She also explained that Wonder Woman would fight to "protect a better vision for mankind" and that the Amazonian heroine truly "believes in goodness and love."

Aside from Gadot, "Wonder Woman" will also star Chris Pine as American fighter pilot Steve Trevor, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and Robin Wright as General Antiope. Danny Huston will be playing a villain in the film and sources believe that he may be portraying Ares. Elena Anaya is also cast as a villain and she plays a mysterious woman who wears a mask.