Joss Whedon Has A Witty Response To Critics Of The ‘Wonder Woman’ Women-Only Screenings

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s announcement that it would be hosting a women-only screening of Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman prompted a massive backlash from a portion of male fans, but acclaimed director and certified geek Joss Whedon has now had his say on the matter. Whedon, who’s best known as the creator of the popular TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as his more recent work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was recently confirmed to be taking over as the director of Justice League, after Zack Snyder announced his departure from the project due to the death of his daughter.

With the 52-year-old director now an official member of the DC Extended Universe family, Whedon took to Twitter to defend the women-only screenings of Wonder Woman.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema first announced the “all-female screening” on their official website and stated that it was their way of celebrating Wonder Woman‘s debut on the big screen. Not only did the Austin-based cinema insist on a women-only screening, but it also further declared that only female staff members would be present for the occasion.

“Apologies, gentlemen, but we’re embracing our girl power and saying ‘No Guys Allowed’ for one special night at the Alamo Ritz. And when we say ‘People Who Identify As Women Only,’ we mean it. Everyone working at this screening — venue staff, projectionist, and culinary team — will be female.”

Consequently, a number of outraged men took to the cinema’s Facebook page to voice their frustrations and publicly criticized the decision to host an all-female screening of Wonder Woman. Many of these men claimed that the cinema’s decision to host such a screening had nothing to do with feminism or equality, and even labeled it as sexist. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, however, reiterated their intentions of simply wanting to celebrate the iconic character of Wonder Woman.

In response to this criticism, Whedon posted a message to his Twitter account, in which he addressed all those who complained about the women-only screenings and jokingly added that an all-male screening had already taken place.

I got to see Wonder Woman by myself weeks ago so shut up there's already been a man-only screening.

Oh and it's a godddamn delight. pic.twitter.com/PHWQWxcIwN

— Joss Whedon (@joss) June 2, 2017

More importantly, Whedon praised the film and called it “a g**ddamn delight.” The Avengers director wasn’t the first celebrity to defend the women-only screenings of Wonder Woman on social media, though. Don Cheadle also got on Twitter and responded to fans who condemned the all-female screenings.

The actor, who has portrayed James “Rhodey” Rhodes, otherwise known as War Machine, in the MCU films on four occasions, also responded to a fan who suggested that there should be a male-only screening.

What’s more, Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler also got involved in the matter. After receiving an email from Richard A. Ameduri, in which Ameduri called on all men to boycott the city of Austin in retaliation to the women-only screenings, Adler surprisingly took the time to pen a reply. In his response, the mayor joked that Ameduri’s email account must’ve been “hacked by an unfortunate and unusually hostile individual.”

Regardless of the criticism surrounding the women-only screening of Wonder Woman, the initial response to the fourth and latest installment to the DCEU has been overwhelmingly positive, with the film earning rave reviews from fans and critics alike. While previous DCEU films, namely Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, divided opinions for their overly grim tone and lack of humor, it seems as though director Jenkins may have finally found the sweet spot with Wonder Woman.

Gal Gadot, who portrays the titular protagonist, has also garnered praise for her performance in the film. The Israeli actress first appeared as Wonder Woman in the aforementioned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice alongside Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. Gadot will also reprise her role as the Amazonian princess in Justice League, which is set to be released on November 17. Fans of the DCEU will be hoping that the upcoming and highly anticipated superhero ensemble film will live up to expectations, just like Wonder Woman did. And with Whedon in charge, expectations will certainly be high.

[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]