Veritable Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, captivated audiences earlier this year with her turn as the titular character. Not only is the superhero an enduring symbol of female empowerment, but in the male-dominated world of DC (and Marvel), Wonder Woman stands out as the only female protagonist. Clad in a figure-hugging leotard, Wonder Woman has been tethered to her assumed sexuality since Lynda Carter assumed the role back in 1975, however, Gal Gadot ensured that the character was, first and foremost, known for kicking some serious butt.
This is even more impressive when you learn that the actress was pregnant throughout filming. She managed to hide her pregnancy for as long as she could, fearing people's reactions and receiving special treatment. But as anyone who has been pregnant will attest to, there comes a point of no return.
This is not the first time that Gadot has been pregnant on-set, and nor is it the first time she has managed to cover it up. While filming the initial scenes of Batman v Superman, the mother-of-two "gutted it out".
Speaking to Marie Claire, she revealed that she used to come to set wearing sunglasses. And when this failed to cut it, she had another trick up her sleeve. "I had this jug of water with huge pieces of ginger. One of the producers kept on asking, 'Why are you drinking that potato water?' They thought I'd gone Hollywood," Gadot explained.
Somehow, she managed to keep her morning sickness discreet, and even contended with migraines while filming scenes.
But in the midst of shooting Wonder Woman, the 32-year-old's pregnancy became impossible to hide - forcing her to tell the cast and crew. And not only did they take it very well, but their solution was pure genius: they cut a hole into all of her costumes and outfitted her stomach in green material.
Yes, the production team of Wonder Woman fashioned Gal Gadot's baby with its own personal green screen.
And of course, she took it all in her stride. "On close-up I looked very much like Wonder Woman. On wide shots I looked very funny, like Wonder Woman pregnant with Kermit the Frog," the actress stated.
Now, I don't know about you, but I'm dying to have a peep at those behind-the-scenes shots. They're sure to be hilarious.
Gadot proved that she's Wonder Woman in more sense than one last year, when she reportedly refused to return for a sequel if Brett Ratner continued to profit off it. The producer has been accused of multiple counts of sexual misconduct and harassment from the likes of Olivia Munn and Ellen Page.
An unidentified source spoke to Page Six, asserting that Gadot doesn't want fans to question the franchise's avowal of female empowerment due to it being associated with a man who stands accused of harassing women. "She’s tough and stands by her principles," the source explained. "She also knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros has to side with her on this issue as it develops. They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man accused of sexual misconduct against women."
Well, there you have it. There couldn't possibly be anyone better suited to play the superhero.