‘Professor Marston & the Wonder Women’ Might Normalize Polyamory in Movies
The little-known story is a fascinating one.
After decades of waiting through endless Batman and Superhero flicks, we finally got to see Wonder Woman smack around German soldiers in her own film. The film was a verified blockbuster, grossing nearly $800 million dollars worldwide; it also earned a 92 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But that’s not the only Wonder Woman story coming to theaters this year. Yesterday, the trailer for Professor Marston & the Wonder Women, a biopic about Wonder Woman creator William Marston and the two women who helped inspire the iconic Amazonian warrior, was released. The trailer’s already racked up more than one million views — and the film could help normalize polyamory in movies.
The upcoming film tells the story of Harvard psychologist Dr. William Marston (Luke Evans) and how his unconventional relationship with two women (Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote) inspired Wonder Woman. Marston’s comic book heroine, which debuted in 1941, was constantly under attack for often featuring sexual undertones and plenty of BDSM that were inappropriate for readers. But he kept the larger secret that he was in a polyamorous relationship. This secret would have ruined his prestigious reputation.
The trailer highlights Marston relationship with two women: his wife Elizabeth and one of his students, Olive. The three attempt a polyamorous relationship, all while asking bigger questions about relationships, fidelity, and love. All the while, these two women serve as the creative inspiration for Marston as he develops one of the most iconic characters of the 20th century.
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women isn’t arriving in theaters until October, but it’s already gaining a fair amount of controversy due to its depiction of polyamorous relationships. Many people are still uncomfortable with the idea of polyamory, despite the fact that an increasing number of people have admitted to participating in some form of an open relationship. Perhaps this movie’s intimate portrayal will help jumpstart the conversation and smash boundaries just as the recent Wonder Woman film did.
