'Wonder Woman' Patty Jenkins on Gal Gadot: I didn't originally pick her

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Gal Gadot on training to become 'Wonder Woman'

Israeli-born actress stars in big screen adaptation of comic book classic

Israeli actress Gal Gadot is poised to slay box office sales this weekend as the iconic superhero in “Wonder Woman,” but the film’s director told Playboy the 32-year-old wasn’t her original pick.

The men’s magazine revealed Patty Jenkins actually inherited Gadot as her leading lady from fellow superhero filmmaker Zack Snyder.

“I remember when I read in the news that Wonder Woman had been cast and my heart sank,” explained the 45-year-old. “I had been talking to the studio for so long about doing it and I was like well ‘that’s that.’ I’m sure we wouldn’t have made the same choice.”

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Once Jenkins started paying attention to Gadot, she realized Snyder made the right choice for the part.

“Frankly, I think they did a better job than I could have because I don’t know that I would have scoured the earth as hard to find her,” admitted Jenkins. “I don’t know that I would’ve looked internationally. I would have just looked for an American girl.

"The fact that they found Gal and chose her is a magical gift to me. They’re incredibly intelligent people and they were looking for all the same things I would have looked for — all the values that Wonder Woman stands for exuding from someone in an honest way, and boy did they find it. She’s the greatest.”

Jenkins also added Gadot is just as authentic as original “Wonder Woman” star Lynda Carter.

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“She’s brave, strong, king, loving, badass — every adjective you can think of for Wonder Woman, Gal is,” said Jenkins.

Carter has since given the film her blessing.

“Well I think it’s time,” the 65-year-old told the Associated Press. “It’s now going onto a new generation of people and I’m thrilled.”