Twitter Reacts To James Cameron Calling 'Wonder Woman' 'A Step Backwards'

Oscar-winning director James Cameron's remarks about the blockbuster movie, "Wonder Woman," created an outrage on social media Thursday soon after the Guardian published an interview where the ace director called the title character "an objectified icon."

The highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, crossed $800 million at the worldwide box office. However, the "Titanic" director called the standalone female superhero film "a step backward" for Hollywood.

When asked how Cameron perceived the excitement over the movie, he told the Guardian: "All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided. She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie but, to me, it’s a step backward."

Jenkins did not hold back her response to Cameron's remark. She shared a statement on Twitter that read: "James Cameron's inability to understand what 'Wonder Woman' is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman. I believe that women can and should be EVERYTHING just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman."

Many other Twitter users also echoed her sentiments and criticized Cameron for his comments on "Wonder Woman." While some called his observation of the movie "wrong," others slammed him for "mansplaining."

Some users compared "Wonder Woman" and "Avatar," which was directed by Cameron, and said the former was a clear winner among the two.

Several users even referred to women being objectified in "Titanic" and "True Lies," which was also directed by the "Avatar" director.

For Jenkins, the movie was a passion project. She fought for more than a decade to get it made, according to several reports. "Wonder Woman" had first appeared in comic books 76 years ago, but it is only in this movie, the character made her way to the big screen.

While making the movie, Jenkins had to fight many stereotypes, she told ABC News before the film's release. "It got lost in this strange belief system that action movies were only for boys and that superheroes were only for boys," she explained. "[But] comics have always had a bunch of great female characters and a bunch of great female superheroes."

"I think [Wonder Woman] is the grand, classic superhero ... of which there are very few," Jenkins continued. "Many of the superheroes stand for different, smaller things. She is a hero: uncomplicated, loving, kind. Also sexy, cool, tough, badass."

In an interview with Fandango in May, Jenkins talked about her favorite scene where the protagonist bravely marches through a 'No Man’s Land' to reach a village and rescue people. However, the studio that made the film wanted to cut the scene due to various reasons. Jenkins had to fight hard and convince her bosses that the scene was important for the movie. Fandango is a website that offers film clips, trailers, celebrity interviews, and reviews by users.