The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wonder Woman’s cartoon voice talks about bridging live action
The pop culture journey between Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot’s performances as Wonder Woman isn’t complete without the bridge that is Susan Eisenberg’s voice.
Eisenberg was the voice of Wonder Woman on Cartoon Network’s “Justice League” animated series, from 2001-2004, and then a second series, “Justice League Unlimited,” from 2004-2006.
While many actors have voiced Wonder Woman over the years (Keri Russell and Rosario Dawson have voiced the character in animated movies, and Rachel Kimsey does it on Cartoon Network’s new “Justice League Action” series) many fans of DC animation consider Eisenberg’s voice to be the voice of Wonder Woman — the same way Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly have been the preferred voices of Batman and Superman.
But at times, Eisenberg has wondered whether her vocal contribution would be lost in the bright lights of Wonder Woman’s pop culture resurgence. She recently attended a comic convention where it was mentioned on a panel that Lynda Carter had been holding the Wonder Woman torch until Gal Gadot. She says she saw an entertainment magazine featuring a Wonder Woman timeline that didn’t mention her animated adventures.
Eisenberg credits her Twitter account with reconnecting her with fans who remain appreciative for what she did for Wonder Woman, especially because when “Justice League” originally aired, there were not as many superhero movies as there are now. At the time, Eisenberg was giving DC fans what felt like would be their only adaptation of their favorite characters.
“That’s when I met the fans, and without them I wouldn’t have known what the show meant to that generation, because they wouldn’t have told me,” Eisenberg told the Washington Post. “I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet them and have them share their memories, their feelings about Diana.”
Few are as thrilled as Eisenberg that director Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” movie has finally arrived on the big screen. And her fans won’t stop asking her about it online.
“It’s so adorable. It’s kind of crazy. I want to send out a press release, OK, just so we’re clear, everyone knows I’m not in this movie,” Eisenberg said with a laugh. “It’s thrilling as almost an ambassador of (Wonder Woman) at this point to know that the fans are (getting) what they want.”
“Justice League Unlimited” ending didn’t stop Eisenberg from continuing to be the voice of DC Comics’ most iconic heroine. She’s voiced Wonder Woman in animated movies (“Justice League: Doom” and “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse”), the online video game “DC Universe Online” and also in the recent and popular “Injustice 2” video game.
“I’ll tell you, after ‘Justice League Unlimited’ ended, I really did think I was done. It was a great ride. It was a great run. I was lucky it went for so long. I was lucky that I got to work on this extraordinary television show with these luminaries,” Eisenberg said. “I’m hopeful that there’ll be other projects. There’s little I can do about it except be hopeful and show up when I get the call.”
Now that “Wonder Woman” is a hit at the box office, Eisenberg says there’s no reason Wonder Woman shouldn’t have her own solo animated series for the first time, just like Batman and Superman have had.
“Well, I’m so biased. She should have her own video game like Batman has. I think she should have it all,” Eisenberg said. “I think that with the success of this film there will be a lot more Wonder Woman projects. They realize that there’s a huge fan base out there. It’s always been there, but I think that its finally being recognized.”