More than just a great superhero movie, Wonder Woman is DC's first movie that has a coherent vision for itself and the universe it wants to build. More importantly, it is the movie that finally allows DC to step outside of Marvel's shadow in terms of superhero movies.
Playing Catchup To Marvel
Since the release of 2008's Iron Man, Marvel has come to dominate the landscape in terms of superhero movies. Sure, The Dark Knight, released that same year, was a critically acclaimed success, but it never really felt like DC knew what to do with any of their heroes outside of Batman.
In fact, it took DC five years to actually get their expanded film universe off the ground and the result, 2013's Man of Steel, proved divisive with fans and critics alike. During that same period, Marvel had not only released several solo movies but had even made history with 2012's The Avengers. DC followed up Man of Steel with Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman, but both were met with negative reviews from fans and critics.
DC plans to release part one of Justice League this November, but there are many fans who feel that it is too early considering it will serve as an introduction to the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. To make matters even worse for longtime comic fans, one of the League's founding members — Green Lantern — is nowhere to be seen. In short, the general feeling many people have had towards the DC expanded universe is that it feels rushed and incoherent.
Wonder Woman
That all changed with the release of Wonder Woman, which single-handedly proves that DC can, in fact, make good live-action movies that aren't directed by Christopher Nolan. Currently sitting at a 94 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Wonder Woman is proving to be a hit with critics and audiences alike.
Unlike some of the previous entries in the DCEU, Wonder Woman doesn't feel like a movie that was made solely to cash in on the superhero craze. Rather, it feels like a movie that was made by people who love Wonder Woman and know how to tell a coherent story that isn't concerned with building sequels or laying the groundwork for the next team up movie.
Beyond all of that, Wonder Woman also makes cinematic history by being the first well-received female-led superhero movie. Sure that have been other attempts, such as Catwoman or Elektra, but both were not well-received. Wonder Woman proves that a female-led superhero movie can be a success and that is something that even Marvel has yet to do.
