Wonder Woman is one of DC’s most beloved and iconic superheroes. She is an Amazonian woman, a warrior princess of Themyscira. Created by American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston for DC Comics in 1941, she was introduced to the world as a feminist champion who embodied strength, was courageous, and supported equality.
With her magic lasso, god-killing sword, indestructible bracelets, and superhuman strength, Wonder Woman has endured as a symbol of hope and resilience in the comic book landscape for over 80 years. The same representation, when translated to the screen, was witnessed in the form of movies, television shows, animated series, and beyond.
By the time Wonder Woman got her own live-action adaptation back in the 1970s, other DC heroes like Superman and Batman had been reinvented several times on the big screen. They were played by different actors and followed exciting narratives. On the other hand, it was Cathy Lee Crosby who first brought Princess Diana to life in the unsuccessful 1974 pilot.
Following Crosby’s failed project, Lynda Carter appeared in the hit 1970s Wonder Woman series and showcased her unmatched talent for combining action with feminism. Carter was a trailblazer. She paved the way for future interpretations of Wonder Woman. It was due to her that the character exploded in popularity. And then, time took a couple of other stars in its hold and handed them the golden lasso.
Over the past few decades, Adrianne Palicki and Gal Gadot have played the Amazon princess on television and on the silver screen. Each of these women have left their unique mark on the character’s story and helped Wonder Woman reach a broader audience.
In their respective stories, they have fought crime, delivered justice, and protected those in need by being both strong and graceful. Among the four, which one reigns supreme? The choice between Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot is tough. Yet, we have made a list that ranks all four live-action Wonder Woman actors.
Based on their on-screen presence, strength of performance, reception and accuracy to the comic books, as well as their influence in turning Wonder Woman into a legacy across generations, here is an elaborate and definitive countdown.
Cathy Lee Crosby
The 1970s was an era of revolution not just in society but in the entertainment industry as well. It was a time when the women’s liberation movement and radical feminism were gaining serious momentum. The same advocacy and representation was translated to the screen and an ABC TV pilot was created about Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. It was a year before Lynda Carter took up the iconic role and popularized it.
Directed by Vincent McEveety and starring Cathy Lee Crosby, the movie saw Diana leaving Paradise Island to become Wonder Woman. She aids government agent Steve Trevor in retrieving stolen classified information while also fighting with a rogue Amazon, Ahnjayla. McEveety's idea was to bring the character to modern audiences, and it would have been a success had the team stayed true to the comic traits.
Crosby’s Wonder Woman did not have any supernatural abilities or real, terrifying villains to fight against. In 1974’s Wonder Woman, Diana was portrayed as a spy more than a superhero. So she fought crime with her intelligence, used martial arts skills where necessary, and wore a weaponized one-piece suit, which, on the other hand, was a disappointing reiteration of the classic costume.
As the first actor to bring Wonder Woman to live-action television, the former tennis pro deserves recognition. Her performance was fierce, particularly the climactic fight with Ahnjayla, but because the creative changes polarized fans, Crosby remained forgotten. Even the adaptation ultimately failed to launch into a full series.
Adrianne Palicki
In 2011, NBC’s unaired Wonder Woman pilot reimagined Diana Prince for a modern Era. Quite literally. It saw Wonder Woman chasing a superpowered criminal in the bustling streets of Hollywood Blvd on foot. She knocks him down, then proceeds to extract a sample of his blood as a potential clue. In the movie, Wonder Woman isn’t just a crime fighting force to be reckoned with, but her alter-ego, Diana Themyscira, is the CEO of a massive corporation called Themyscira Industries.
It was a dark and gritty take – having Diana operate as a privately funded vigilante and as a marketing icon – and the story did not stop there. Wonder Woman felt the weight of her responsibility and created a third identity for herself as Diana Prince, a single woman who likes indulging in romcoms and surfing the internet.
Despite the promising (and moderately interesting) premise, the impression this pilot gave was bizarre. It felt like the creators were embarrassed by the source material and wanted to place Wonder Woman in an alternate universe.
Adrianne Palicki played the main character. And she was brilliant. She did what she could with the questionable plot; she brought balance to her world by projecting both inner strength and warmth. Whether disarming major forces or protecting the innocent, she brought realism to Wonder Woman’s fantastical origins.
Yet, NBC ultimately chose not to proceed with the series. And as soon as the studio pulled the plug, fans forgot the promise and ridiculousness of the pilot. Looking back, one can imagine Palicki’s performance would have helped show a darker side of the DC character and the adaptation’s untapped potential.
Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman graced our screens from 1975 to 1979 in the hit ABC TV series and left an indelible mark on pop culture. Set in America during World War II, The New, Original Wonder Woman introduced audiences to Paradise Island, which was home to beautiful, fierce and intelligent women. American pilot Major Steve Trevor crash lands on the island and is saved by Amazon princess Diana, who then competes in a series of Olympic-style games that are held to decide which Amazon will return Trevor to America.
From earning herself the iconic Wonder Woman uniform to flying out of Paradise Island in an invisible plane, each episode of the series saw Diana Prince use her exceptional skills and agility, her bullet-deflecting bracelets and superhuman strength, to fight crimes and sinister threats. Carter was responsible for bringing the classic incarnation of Wonder Woman to glorious life. She exuded every aspect of what made Wonder Woman so iconic.
She was strong, fierce, compassionate, determined, open-minded and vulnerable. Carter struck the perfect balance between it all and embodied the DC hero’s persona – what with the golden tiara, bracelets, and Lasso of Truth, all of which were accurate to the comic books – quite perfectly.
Across three seasons, the TV show combined action, adventure, empathy and empowerment. Clearly, it is all etched into our collective memory even after 40 years. Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman arrived at a pivotal time for television. It was when the superhero genre was still gaining its footing and the industry was overpowered by male protagonists. Her arrival challenged stereotypes and inspired generations of viewers. Overall, Carter set the gold standard with the beloved role.
Gal Gadot
When Gal Gadot arrived in the DCEU with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, she had a lot riding on her shoulders. Bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen after years, and having to live up to Lynda Carter’s legacy, was no joke. But let us all agree that Gadot did an incredible job. She sealed the deal with her standalone origin film in 2017’s Wonder Woman.
Directed by Patty Jenkins and set during World War I, the movie showcased Diana’s journey from an eager warrior to a global savior as she first rescued US pilot Captain Steve Trevor, discovered her destiny, left Themyscira and realized what it means to be a hero.
Gadot’s Wonder Woman was everything the creators wanted the character to become since the 1970s. She had the classic warmth but she had grown to become a modern woman. She embodied inner strength and was kind. Whether dominating enemies in a battlefield or discovering how humans live and what they eat, Gadot’s performance was deeply moving and inspirational.
We saw her jumping across no man’s land, helping civilians in need of saving, and ending the war by redirecting Ares's lightning into him, killing him for good. All in all, Gadot channeled Wonder Woman’s full majestic power.
Her version left audiences across the globe in a spell. From being an otherworldly woman “completely oblivious about gender and society rules” in the real world to understanding what it is like to adapt to a new place, Gal Gadot was enchanting in every scene. The movie marked as a game changer for the DC Extended Universe as well, because it opened the door for the character’s future in vast capacities.
Gadot’s star-making turn not only redefined Wonder Woman for movies and made her the biggest super-powered force on the planet but also elevated the status of female superheroes to astronomical heights. Which is why it is impossible to choose between Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter – they are both timeless in their own right.
