Wonder Woman's 75-year journey from the comics page to the big screen has been arduous, and no one is more keenly aware of that than Gal Gadot. From the moment she was cast as the DC Comics icon in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," the actress has faced criticism, beginning with questions about whether she possessed the physicality for the role.

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Recently, however, the critical tide has shifted toward Wonder Woman's costume. While predominantly viewed as a strong female role model, the character came under fire last year when she was named an honorary United Nations ambassador for women and girls, with critics arguing her comic-book appearance conveys the wrong message. That debate has only continued as the character moves closer to her first solo feature film in Warner Bros.' "Wonder Woman."

Gadot addressed the controversy in a new interview with The New York Times, saying, “I think as a feminist, you should be able to wear whatever you like! In any case, there is such a misunderstanding of the concept. Feminism is about equality and choice and freedom. And the writers, Patty and myself all figured that the best way to show that is to show Diana as having no awareness of social roles. She has no gender boundaries. To her, everyone is equal.

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“We have seen so many male-driven stories, so the more strong, female narratives we have, the better,” she continued. “I’m sure the movie will inspire girls, but you can’t empower women without empowering men, too. I hope Wonder Woman will be an icon for them, too.”

Directed by Patty Jenkins, “Wonder Woman” stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Lucy Davis, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Lisa Loven Kongsli and David Thewlis. The film arrives in theaters June 2.