Nerdage and StaticBlog Crossover Sweeps Special: Casting “Wonder Woman” — Eliza Dushku or Tanit Phoenix?
Like McLean Stevenson and Conrad Bain, you just can’t keep us from hopping from “Hello Larry” to “Diff’rent Strokes” and back, or something like that. Anyway, it’s been a long time since Nerdage and StaticBlog have done one of these completely gratuitous casting debates, so let’s get right to it:
Deadline reported recently that David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal) is developing Wonder Woman as a possible TV series. Given the success of the 1970s version, and Warner’s difficulty getting the project off the ground as a feature film, this makes some sense. Also, with “Smallville” coming to an end, the CW could use another superhero anchor, couldn’t it?
Two of the names that have floated around as rumored candidates for the Wonder Woman role are Eliza Dushku (“Dollhouse”) and South African model Tanit Phoenix.
StaticBlog: Eliza Dushku gets nerd points in all kinds of ways, but mainly because of her association with Joss Whedon, a man who tried in vain to get Wonder Woman’s plane off the ground before giving up three years ago. (He wanted Cobie Smulders for the role. I “How I Met Your Mother” has missed all kinds of opportunities to put her in a WW costume for a Halloween episode, and I sincerely hope they do it before Mosby meets their mom.) At any rate, she was Faith on “Buffy” and “Angel” and did “Dollhouse,” so my feeling is that Dushku is the heir apparent.
Besides, she simply does not have that much on the table right now other than a guest spot on “The Big Bang Theory” (along with every other geek god and goddess out there) and a rumor that she’s signed for “Ghostbusters III.” Besides, she could totally pull that costume off.
On the other hand, there’s Tanit Phoenix, who has appeared in such classic fare as “Kamasutra Nights” (Netflix, you know what to do) and something called “Crazy Monkey Presents Straight Outta Benoni,” in which she played someone named “Megan Alba.” So, apparently she’s a name associated with quality, and she’s signed to be in “Death Race 2,” so we’ll soon see the full breadth of her dramatic skills. On the other hand, cursory research on Google Image indicates she would wear the costume well, but physical perfection is not all that is needed to launch “Wonder Woman” successfully. You also have to bring some cache to the table.
Advantage: Eliza Dushku
Nerdage: Dushku is reportedly interested in the role, and she’s shown her ability to carry a TV series: Tru Calling and Dollhouse were squarely on her shoulders. Wonder Woman will probably need someone who’s down with the every-day reality of filming a TV series. She’s only 29, so, while she’s been acting for many years, she’s could still have a decently long run as the Amazonian princess. Her role as Faith in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” makes her a well-known quantity to the geek demo, as well.
South African model Tanit Phoenix has appeared in “Lord of War” and is filming “Femme Fatales” for HBO, reportedly as the narrator of the Twilight Zone-like series. So her career is building . Depending on which internet site you believe, she’s either 26 or 30, so, she’s in the neighborhood of the age Lynda Carter was when she donned the star-spangled outfit. While I’m not totally sold on her, she looks the part, and she may have gotten the attention of the right people at WB. Still, I’d vote:
Advantage: Eliza Dushku
– Lang and Price
