Actress and stunt person Samantha Jo has taken to Twitter to sound off on a simmering controversy involving the apparently skimpy and sexualized costumes worn by the Amazon warriors in Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Justice League.” Earlier this week, fans of “Wonder Woman” were dismayed to discover that behind the scenes pictures of the Amazons and early looks at them in action in Synder’s film showed off some seemingly questionable costume changes, ones that appear to value sexuality over practicality and didn’t reflect the vision first laid out in Patty Jenkins’ film from earlier this year.
But while Jo welcomes the discussion, she’s also eager to set the record straight. In a long and thoughtful response on her social media, Jo writes: “I think that the sexualization happens largely in the intent of the creators. In this case, I’ve heard Zack Snyder and [costume designer] Michael Wilkinson’s name being thrown about. I can only speak to my own experiences with them and my own perception of their intent, but I have had the honor of working with them on several occasions and could not speak highly enough of them. I have NEVER felt more empowered than I have on Zack Snyder sets.”
Jo adds, “I have never once been told to stand in a pretty way or perform something with more skin or feminine moments. I have been most appreciated for my strong stances and posture in my fighting. I’ve always felt not just comfortable, but confident in what I was wearing and how I was being represented.”
When it comes to the actual costumes, Jo also notes that “it’s important to remember that the fighting style of the Amazons is quite different…We’ve been able to see that the Amazonian fighting is a little more acrobatic and larger than life requiring armor that allows for that kind of articulation in the body. I was overjoyed with the mobility I had.” She also adds that tweaks made to the Amazon costumes between “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” actually offered up practical fixes for “chafing, scrapes, pinched and bruised skin.”
You can check out her full response below:
It is and I agree :( This isn't a 140 character response, but for those interested- here are my thoughts. pic.twitter.com/h44CwS9R7x
— Samantha Jo (@SamWJo) November 14, 2017
Jo played the Amazon warrior Euboea in the DC films, and previously worked with Snyder on his “Man of Steel,” where she served as an uncredited stunt double for star Antje Traue. She also appeared as Eva Green’s stunt double in “300: Rise of an Empire,” a Snyder-penned and -produced followup to his film “300.”
Some fans have noted that it’s possible that Snyder’s film includes female warriors from other tribes (or Amazons not necessarily primed for battle) or flashback sequences of the early years of Wonder Woman’s tribe. Other looks at recurring characters — including Connie Nielsen in costume as Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta — feature costumes very much in line with the looks sported in Jenkins’ film.
As Jo notes, the discussion is a valuable one, and she ends her response with a call for still more intelligent conversation, writing: “I’m happy to have so many advocates for the representation of women in film!! With all of the problems that are coming to light, I just want to be sure we don’t jump to conclusions or get ahead of ourselves.”
“Justice League” is in theaters this week.
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