100 years passed between Dian of Themyscira's first visit to man's world in Wonder Woman to when she helped Superman and Batman vanquish Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. That's a whole century worth of adventures and unique experiences, and next year, we'll learn what the Amazon warrior was up to the year Ghostbusters and The Terminator came out in Wonder Woman 1984. For her next standalone movie, Wonder Woman will be tangling with Barbara Ann Minerva, a.k.a. The Cheetah, and now we have our first look at Kristen Wiig's version of the character.
It looks like we'll have to wait a little longer to see Kristen Wiig fully catted out as Cheetah, but thanks to Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins, we have the above picture of Wiig as the still-normal Barbara Minerva looking at some displayed animals at a museum. Given that she'll soon be turning into a humanoid feline who has the power to give Wonder Woman a run for her money, it's appropriate that our first gander at her is surrounded by these specimens, as opposed to Barbara visiting an art museum. Her outfit is also on point for the sequel's 1980s setting.
Although primarily known for her work in comedy, Kristen Wiig does have experience in more dramatic roles, and Wonder Woman 1984 sees her not just delving into the superhero movie genre, but also playing the main villain. Although there have been several Cheetahs in DC Comics history, Barbara Minerva is arguably the most famous, and her abilities include enhanced strength, speed and agility, as well as heightened senses and razor-sharp fangs and claws. Given Wonder Woman's power levels and the fact that she took down Ares in her origin story, one would imagine that like her comic book counterpart, Wiig's Barbara gains her powers from a magical/mythical source, like the plant god Urzkartaga.
So far no official details have come out yet about how Kristen Wiig's Barbara will be specifically be used in Wonder Woman 1984. However, reportedly at the start of the movie, she and Diana will be close friends, with Barbara initially wanting to emulate the heroine, only to turn to the the dark side and try to usurp her. Along with Wiig and obviously Gal Gadot reprising Diana, Wonder Woman 1984's cast includes Chris Pine as Steve Trevor (yes, somehow he's still around) and Game of Thrones' Pedro Pascal in a yet-to-be-revealed role. In addition to returning to the director's chair, Patty Jenkins co-wrote the script with Geoff Johns and David Callaham.
Wonder Woman 1984 hits theaters on November 1, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Don't forget to also look through our DC movies guide to learn what other projects are in development for the DC Extended Universe.
