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Warning: SPOILERS for Wonder Woman 1984 are ahead!
There’s a lot to take in during Wonder Woman 1984’s two and a half hour runtime, from Diana Prince’s emotional reunion with Steve Trevor to her battle with former friend Barbara Minerva, who had transformed into The Cheetah. But for Gal Gadot, it wasn’t any moment where she appeared on screen that led her to shed a tear while watching the sequel, but the very beginning of the movie, when we see the young Diana show off her physical prowess.
As those who’ve seen Wonder Woman 1984 will recall, the ninth DC Extended Universe movie opens with young Diana, played by Lilly Aspell, taking part in an athletic competition on Themyscira. Gal Gadot explained why the beginning of Wonder Woman 1984 made her so emotional to HELLO! Magazine (via MSN) with the following:
I can’t tell you about the moment in the movie that made me cry other than it happens at the very beginning. I’ve never experienced that before. I was watching and all of a sudden I wasn’t the actress, the producer, or anything on set. I was a little girl from a suburb in Israel watching this amazing character doing such incredible things. And I’m not an easy crier. I’m not the kind of woman who watches commercials and cries I just had such a strong reaction to this movie and it caught me off guard. Usually I save my crying for special occasions… like when I’m pregnant!
Although Lilly Aspell also played Diana as a child in the first Wonder Woman movie, it was in Wonder Woman 1984 where she was truly able to shine, as she did all of her own stunts during the opening sequence. Within Wonder Woman 1984 though, as Gal Gadot noted, Diana’s participation in the Themysciran competition was inspiring, as she eventually gains a lead on the other warriors. I can’t blame Gadot for crying a bit even though this wasn’t one of her deemed special occasions.
However, Wonder Woman 1984’s opening sequence ended with Diana not winning, but learning a lesson. After losing her lead, Diana manages to regain it by taking a shortcut, but also ends up missing one of the checkpoints. Before she can cross the finish line ahead of everyone else, her aunt Antiope removes her from the competition, telling her that her victories and gains in life must be achieved honestly, a sentiment Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta echoes. Naturally that lesson comes into play during Wonder Woman 1984’s main narrative when the Dreamstone starts granting people’s wishes, including bringing back Steve Trevor for Diana.
Wonder Woman 1984 marked Gal Gadot’s fourth outing as Diana Prince, having previously appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman and Justice League. While Wonder Woman 1984 hasn’t nearly the level of critical acclaim as the first Wonder Woman movie, the movie has performed well enough theatrically on streaming that Warner Bros has given the green light to Wonder Woman 3, with Gadot and director Patty Jenkins both returning. There’s also an Amazons spinoff in the works that will be linked to the events that unfold between Wonder Woman 1984 and Wonder Woman 3.
Wonder Woman 1984 is now playing in theaters, and there’s still time to catch it on HBO Max (if you’re not subscribed to the streaming service, you can use the following link to do so). Keep track of the DC movies heading to theaters in the coming years with our detailed guide.
