Would you care if Diana's main love interest was a woman?

[Mutant God]

Well as long as shes a reporter/journalist with the same first letter of both names ie: Lois Lane, Vicki Vale

[theoneandonly]

whats wrong with carrying on a romance with army nurse Diana Prince?

[Ascended]

Im in no rush to see Steve taken out of the "love interest" role. We just got him back a few years ago, and for a huge chunk of that time he barely had any interaction with Diana at all, from Azz's run to the Super-Wonder relationship.

However, I got nothing against Diana dating a woman either.

[Jim Kelly]

Just for the sake of the thought experiment, what if Steve Trevor had been a woman--let's say Eve Trevor--would that have changed Diana's story and if so how?

[Celgress]

OP - I wouldn't care long as it is written as a serious relationship and not just to titillate casual (especially male) readers - "oh look two hot lesbians involved in heavy petting *drool*".

[Killerbee911]

Just for the sake of the thought experiment, what if Steve Trevor had been a woman--let's say Eve Trevor--would that have changed Diana's story and if so how?

There is a power dynamic seen that is reverse with Steve being a man. Steve Trevor is the damsel in distress and the male is the weaker character in the relationship and it something you just don't see often. Being a Woman changes it from something unique to kinda norm. I think you can tell similar story with female love interest but you can't tell a story about man comfortably taking back seat to strong woman

[Gaelforce]

There is a power dynamic seen that is reverse with Steve being a man. Steve Trevor is the damsel in distress and the male is the weaker character in the relationship and it something you just don't see often. Being a Woman changes it from something unique to kinda norm. I think you can tell similar story with female love interest but you can't tell a story about man comfortably taking back seat to strong woman

I actually cannot think of another in mainstream comics.

Male superheroes often have non-super girlfriends/wives, but I'm hardpressed to think of any female superhero that has a non-super male love interest.

Batwoman comes closest? But even then, her partners are usually strong, action-hero types (Renee, Maggie).

[kjn]

Just for the sake of the thought experiment, what if Steve Trevor had been a woman--let's say Eve Trevor--would that have changed Diana's story and if so how?

It depends. I don't think the story as told in say Rebirth would need to be changed that much.

But if we take say the movie or the Golden Age, then things change. You can still have Eve Trevor, but a lot of the dynamics from the people around the couple would change. Steve Trevor getting credit for Diana's accomplishments (as he does in the Golden Age stories) would lose all of its sting in its criticism of patriarchy and male privilege. This is in addition to what Killerbee911 said, about the gender-reversal dynamic of Steve-in-distress turning into damsel-in-distress. It doesn't really change Diana's story, but it would change our view of the couple.

[mathew101281]

I actually cannot think of another in mainstream comics.

Male superheroes often have non-super girlfriends/wives, but I'm hardpressed to think of any female superhero that has a non-super male love interest.

Batwoman comes closest? But even then, her partners are usually strong, action-hero types (Renee, Maggie).

It’s one of those power dynamic things in comics that’s a holdover from its more sexist past.

1. Female superheroes never date characters that are weaker then they are. He’s either going to be outright stronger then her or the team leader(positionally stronger then her)

2. Any female villain that gains any level of popularity is going to morph into a hero. Villains by nature tend to be more powerful then heroes, so having a female villain implies having a female with power. Turning a female villain into a hero or antihero might seem empowering at first, but then you realize that most of them aren’t going to crack the top ten in any category as a lukewarm antihero type, and the villain ranks are seriously thin on A tier female antagonists.

[Vakanai]

I wouldn't care if Wondie dates another female, but I'd prefer Steve as the long term "Lois Lane" type she always comes back too.

Maybe we can have our cake and eat it too - on the next adventure have Steve accidentally bumble his way into danger and get magically transformed into a woman for a few years. Because there's not enough crazy gender bender magic shenanigans in the world.

[Celgress]

It’s one of those power dynamic things in comics that’s a holdover from its more sexist past.

1. Female superheroes never date characters that are weaker then they are. He’s either going to be outright stronger then her or the team leader(positionally stronger then her)....

I think this could be one of the reasons, if not the primary reason, why Steve Trevor has never been treated seriously as a character or love interest by the writers in the comics (at least not for a long time). Steve, in spite of his military career, is clearly weaker than Diana physically and often mentally (in most modern incarnations he is either characterized as a bit of a goofball or else a pacifist).

[stargazer01]

There is a power dynamic seen that is reverse with Steve being a man. Steve Trevor is the damsel in distress and the male is the weaker character in the relationship and it something you just don't see often. Being a Woman changes it from something unique to kinda norm. I think you can tell similar story with female love interest but you can't tell a story about man comfortably taking back seat to strong woman

Great post. Steve Trevor works as a man for this reason because typically men are considered the "stronger" one, but then he meets Diana who is a very independent, smart and much more strong than he'll ever be. It's a great dynamic. I liked how the movie made it work, because he was never useless despite not having superpowers. He was intelligent and brave and also pretty confident about his self worth as a person. He taught Diana a few things too.

I loved that the film never told us Diana was better because she was a female... Both were brave and smart in their own ways. Both equally heroic.

The Aquaman movie was also great in this way; it showed powerful and smart females as well as males. We were never told girls were superior due to some misguided feminist agenda.

[Celgress]

...The Aquaman movie was also great in this way; it showed powerful and smart females as well as males. We were never told girls were superior due to some misguided feminist agenda.

I think the Aquaman movie did it better, but that's just me.

[stargazer01]

I think the Aquaman movie did it better, but that's just me.

I agree. In WW was a bigger deal obviously.

In Aquaman it just was. Male and females just were awesome without making a big deal about it.

[Cerulean Scarab]

In principal I’m not really against it, but I prefer Steve Trevor to anyone else.

Give him at least another decade of being Diana’s “Lois Lane” to restablish his spot. After that they can give him a “soft” death (MIA during a mission or something idk) and she can grieve and move on to mess around with other people.