Fans have had to demonstrate quite a lot of patience in the run up to the release of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984. It’s hard enough that it’s been three years since we first got to see Gal Gadot kick ass in her own superhero origin story, but the added insult to injury is the fact that the goal posts keep moving. Having wrapped production in late 2018, the original plan was to have the film out in theaters in November or December 2019, but that schedule was nixed in favor of a summer release date… and then the pandemic happened. We’re hungry to see Princess Diana of Themyscira back on the big screen, but now have to wait until August before that happens.
One of the principal reasons why we’re so excited to see Wonder Woman 1984 is because there are so many ways in which it remains a true curiosity – as the trailers for the movie have only revealed enough information to provide an idea of what to expect. There are a number of big questions we have that don’t presently have any answers, and we figured we’d use this feature to talk them out.
What Will Cheetah Look Like In Wonder Woman 1984?
One of the earliest things we knew about Wonder Woman 1984 was that it would be the first live-action movie to feature the DC Comics villain Barbara Ann Minerva a.k.a. Cheetah, and that the character would be portrayed by Kristen Wiig. Since then we’ve learned that the story will feature her as a nerdy friend of Diana’s before transforming her into a feline-themed supervillain… but everything else about her, including her final look, has been kept a mystery.
Whether it’s because the production wants the look to remain a secret until audiences see the film, or because there is some fear of Cats-related backlash, Wonder Woman 1984 has decided not to feature any footage of Cheetah in the marketing for the film, so we’re just left imagining what she will ultimately look like. It’s definitely frustrating, but the good news is that the visual effects teams behind the movie have had a whole lot of extra time to make sure that she looks absolutely perfect when the blockbuster is ready for theatrical distribution. Speaking of which…
Will Wonder Woman 1984 Keep Its August Release Date?
Back in March at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was some question as to whether or not shelter-in-place protocols would wind up impacting the set June release date for Wonder Woman 1984, but then that thinking went out the window when theaters across the country started shuttering their doors. In a defensive move, Warner Bros. made the decision to push the film back by about two months, moving it to August 14, 2020 – but will that wind up being the last move that it makes, or can we expect another one in the coming weeks/months?
As of right now, the future that has theaters reopening and grouping swaths of movie-goers into crowded auditoriums is an uncertain one, as its unclear both when it will actually be safe to reengage with social activities, and also when people at large will start feeling comfortable with it again. Hopefully scientists will start providing solutions soon, but until they do Wonder Woman 1984’s August date may prove to be temporary.
Where Does The Golden Eagle Armor Come From In Wonder Woman 1984?
As its final action beat, the first trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 reveals that the eponymous heroine will be getting a new costume in the blockbuster, as she will be sporting a live-action version of the Golden Eagle armor that the character wore in Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ “Kingdom Come” series in the comics. Armed with wings that seem to disappear and reappear at will, the suit may have many abilities the we don’t yet know about, and there are actually a bunch of questions we have about it, but our biggest is in regards to the armor’s origins.
The basic Wonder Woman costume that we all know was armor that Diana took with her as she traveled from Themyscira to Man’s World, so where does the Golden Eagle armor actually come from? Is it possibly part of an exhibit at the museum where our hero works as a curator? Or maybe does she take a trip back home… which brings us to our next question.
Will Wonder Woman 1984’s Plot Link Back To Themyscira?
Thanks to trailers, it has been confirmed that Wonder Woman 1984 will be using a portion of its runtime to transport audiences back to Themyscira – however, the presence of Diana as a young girl (played by Lilly Aspell) and Robin Wright’s Antiope suggest that what we’ve seen so far is flashback material. That being said, there is still the lingering question of whether or not that will be the full extent of the fantastical hidden island’s role in the film.
In the history of Wonder Woman comics, a great number have found a way to have the great Amazonian hero return to the land of her birth, even in cases where her return is strictly forbidden, and it would honestly be foolish to discount the possibility that Wonder Woman 1984 will pull off that move. After all, in addition to being a reasonable place for Diana to find the Golden Eagle armor, there is a lot of drama to be found in the homecoming since it would see Diana reuniting with her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) after being away for decades.
What Is Maxwell Lord’s Game Plan In Wonder Woman 1984?
In Wonder Woman 1984, audiences will be introduced to a new kind of Maxwell Lord. Played by The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal, he has been described as a king of infomercials who has a company that specializes in satisfying the special desires of its clients. Of course, no supervillain gives anything away for free, so we are left asking ourselves both A) what is Lord getting in exchange for his services, and B) given that he is a character in the comics who has a history of operating like a chess player, what is his big picture goal?
One of the most curious shots in the trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 has the character clutching some kind of strange stone/crystal (as seen in the image above), and it really just furthers the mystery. Is Maxwell Lord using that stone for fantastical purposes, or perhaps is it a sign that he is merely an asset in a more powerful beings’ game?
How Is Steve Trevor Still Alive In Wonder Woman 1984?
Given that it’s one of the most emotional moments in the film, Wonder Woman fans won’t soon forget that Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor died at the end of World War I, sacrificing himself by detonating a plane he was flying in order to stop a devastating attack. So how is it that Wonder Woman 1984 features him alive in the mid-1980s looking like he hasn’t aged a day from when he first met Diana? That’s a totally legitimate question, but one that inspires zipped lips from anyone actually involved with the production.
Arguably the most obvious answer would be that Steve is somehow a creation of Maxwell Lord’s, given that reuniting with him would be Diana’s greatest wish – but, as noted, understanding how that would even be possible is unclear at present. Plus, because this is a comic book movie, that’s really only one of hundreds of possibilities, ranging from “he’s a clone” to “he’s a time traveler” to “he’s from another dimension.”
How Will Wonder Woman 1984 Expand The DC Extended Universe?
Every movie that is part of a larger franchise of films operates on one of two levels: either they simply have their own story to tell, or they heavily contribute to big picture developments. Given Wonder Woman 1984’s setting, it’s pretty easy to assume that the upcoming film will fall into the former camp – but that doesn’t mean that it won’t potentially still find some ways to have a significant impact on the world in the larger universe.
Justice League may not have worked out as plans, but the DC Extended Universe is still alive and well thanks to heroes like Aquaman, Shazam!, and The Flash, so we shouldn’t discount the possibility that the blockbuster could squeeze something into the picture – even if it’s just a post-credits scene. Frankly, it would just be nice to know at this point how interconnected future features are going to be.
Will There Be A Set Up For The Third Wonder Woman Movie/The Amazons Spin-Off?
Wonder Woman 1984 may not be out yet, but we already know that it won’t be the last chapter in the titular heroine’s story. This isn’t just because the Gal Gadot character is beloved and rakes in box office dollars, but also because the future has already been confirmed. Not only has Patty Jenkins revealed that she is actively working on an untitled Wonder Woman 3, she has also been developing a spin-off that would center on the Amazons. Neither of these projects have release dates yet, but one has to ponder the possibility of moves being made to set them up in the upcoming blockbuster.
If Patty Jenkins already has a basic idea of what she wants to do in Wonder Woman 3, that means that she can leave Wonder Woman 1984 in a prime place for the second sequel to pick up – but whether or not that will happen is unknown at this point. And going back to the last section, we know that there will be a flashback sequence that brings us to Themyscira in the film, but will it take time to establish the foundation for what the spin-off will be? Like the case with the potential for DC Extended Universe, even just a post-credits scene would do wonders in this department, but that’s no guarantee since the first Wonder Woman movie went without a credits tag.
Our curiosity about Wonder Woman 1984 won’t be fully satiated until we’ve actually seen the film, but stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about it as we get closer to its release.
