Something interesting happened during the run-up to Batman v Superman; it was announced that Wonder Woman would also be in the movie, making her cinematic debut. This news caught everyone by surprise. After the movie hit the theaters, many agreed that the character who made the greatest impact was Wonder Woman -- and with her solo film it became clear that she is the centerpiece of DC films in terms of audience enthusiasm (and thus far Wonder Woman is the only DC movie which was a hit both critically and financially). This is something that not many fans would have envisioned when the DC movie universe was first taking shape.
A sequel was inevitable and several aspects of the very early information about the film have people even more interested. The title, Wonder Woman 84, has raised curiosity in terms of why that specific year has been chosen, with a few logical guesses as to why. Then the announcement that Kristen Wiig will be playing the villain Cheetah also garnered attention, as few people had her in mind as a potential candidate to play the role. Finally, the photo reveal that Chris Pine (who played Steve Trevor and presumably had died) would return also elicited more publicity for the film. With so much news about the film out there, let's take a look at what is fact and what are just theories (for the time being).
* Images in feature by Sorin Ilie and Royy Ledger.
15 SET IN 1984
The name kinda gives it away, right? The official synopsis of Wonder Woman 84 has also made it clear that the movie will be set in the 1980s. When the title was announced, people were not sure what the "84" referred to -- with speculation ranging from that it may be a reference to Wonder Woman #84, or to the George Orwell novel.
While we know when, we don't know why it is set during this period (more on that later). The U.S - Russia (Soviet Union at the time) rivalry was in full swing, it was an election year in the U.S., and there were major wars in Asia. It remains to be seen if any of these events will play a role in the film, but it will be really interesting to see how the events of that decade will shape the movie.
14 CHEETAH
It has been confirmed that Cheetah will make her cinematic debut with this film, which was no surprise as the character has been a major villain since almost the beginning of Wonder Woman's comic book history. The casting of Kristen Wiig was somewhat of a surprise, and it'll be interesting to see if this will be another out-of-the-box casting choice which works for DC.
There have been a few iterations of the Cheetah character, and this particular one will be the Barbara Ann Minerva version. The character's origins and background information have been altered several times, with the latest even having Cheetah be a friend and helping Wonder Woman, so how she will be portrayed will be intriguing.
13 NOT A TRUE SEQUEL
Wonder Woman was a monster hit at the box office and to date is the only DCEU film to be a success both financially and critically. Naturally, a sequel was inevitable, but Wonder Woman 84 is not a sequel in the truest sense (which may explain why it's not called Wonder Woman 2). Director Patty Jenkins has revealed that this film will be a completely different film than its predecessor and the only real connection is that some of the characters will be the same.
This is understandable as the movie takes place roughly 65 years after Wonder Woman. It also makes it a unique DCEU film with such a large time jump forward with the same character, which opens up a host of interesting possible story-lines.
12 SET IN AMERICA
Normally, a superhero movie being set in the U.S. would not be too big of a deal. However, this film having America as the backdrop raises some interesting questions. First, since Wonder Woman was based in Europe for the majority of the film, what is the impetus for Wonder Woman coming to America? And has she been in America for a while, or does something happen during the movie that prompts her to go there?
There are also the political realities of the time, which make the setting of America an intriguing aspect. War and politics have played a significant role in both the Wonder Woman comics and the first movie, and it remains to be seen to what extent the choice of country is used as a vehicle to address this.
11 NOT CONNECTED TO OTHER DC FILMS
Other than a message by Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman was notable for not trying to be a part of the larger DC movie universe by having cameos of other heroes, or even referencing them. This is set to continue with this film and all indications are it might go even further by being entirely self-contained.
Top DC film executives have made it clear that the mandate now is to make "stand-alone" movies, without trying to have each movie give a nod or set-up other films. With the performance of Justice League, it appears as though DC heroes will be confined to their own universe, which officially begins with Wonder Woman 84.
10 RELEASE DATE CHANGED
One of the most important considerations given in terms of when to release a movie is the competition it will face. Initially, Wonder Woman 84 was scheduled for the Christmas season with a release date of December 13, 2019. However, when it was announced that Star Wars: Episode 9 would hit the theaters on December 20, 2019, just a week later, Warner Bros. decided to change the date of its movie to November 1, 2019.
Many considered this a wise move as Wonder Woman 84 will now get six full weeks before Star Wars: Episode 9 -- and a chance to have a greater impact at the box office in the face of weaker competition.
9 HIGHEST PAID FEMALE DIRECTOR EVER
With the spectacular success of Wonder Woman, it was considered a given that director Patty Jenkins would return for the sequel. However, the news of her confirmation as the director for the sequel took longer than many expected. The sticking point was that Jenkins was looking for a salary comparable to what male directors of superhero movies are making, which seemed more than reasonable.
Her new salary is being reported as being between $7-$9 million dollars, a very significant increase of her $1 million dollar salary for Wonder Woman. The new deal will also include bonuses depending on how the new film does financially. Very few would argue that she does not deserve it.
8 GEOFF JOHNS/ZACK SNYDER WILL BE INVOLVED
The two non-actors who have greatly influenced DC films recently are Geoff Johns and Zack Snyder. Although Johns is more associated with comic books than movies, he has been giving input on DC films going back to 2011's Green Lantern. Snyder's fingerprints have been all over the DCEU, and almost every major decision whether casting or directing can be traced back to him.
Recently, both have had their roles in terms of DC films reduced. However, both will have an influence on Wonder Woman 84, with Johns having contributed to the writing of the script and Snyder serving as one of the producers.
7 STEVE TREVOR
There were mixed opinions when it was revealed that Steve Trevor would be back. Some were happy to see him back, as he was widely considered as one of the best things about Wonder Woman 84, while others felt like this retroactively reduces the impact of the emotional ending to Wonder Woman.
Many theories are coming forth in terms of how he will return, or even if it really is him. Some think he was somehow able to survive the plane crash and some fantastical element has allowed him to not age for decades. Others believe that he is simply a vision/flashback or a descendant of Steve Trevor's. Whatever turns out to be the truth, it will definitely be one of the most talked about aspect of the film going forward.
6 INVISIBLE JET
Wonder Woman's invisible jet has had a long history and also alterations to its usage and origin, mostly depending on the character's evolving self-flight abilities. It has been seen in the Wonder Woman animated film and the Wonder Woman TV series. Footage from the shooting of Wonder Woman 84 has some believing that the plane will be in the movie as Gal Gadot was seen on a harness in a sitting position above the streets.
What might be giving some more credence is that Steve Trevor (or some variation of him) is in the movie too, and considering he's a pilot (and a spy) the invisible jet may be of use to him, too.
5 LYNDA CARTER WILL HAVE A CAMEO
Before the current resurgence of Wonder Woman into the mainstream sphere, the character had another surge in popularity due to the '70's TV show Wonder Woman, starring Lynda Carter. Carter was Wonder Woman for a generation of fans and the public alike, at least until the 2017 Wonder Woman film released.
Director Patty Jenkins has made it known that she wants Carter to have an appearance sometime during the current slate of Wonder Woman films. One other aspect to consider is that Wonder Woman 84 is shooting in Washington, D.C., which is where Carter resides. It remains to be seen whether this will be the film where she makes an appearance, but it would appear that this movie would be the ideal one for Carter to have a cameo.
4 POLITICS
One of the more intriguing aspects of Wonder Woman 84 is whether the politics of the time will be incorporated into the story. The 2017 Wonder Woman film was set during World War 1 and some aspects of that war influenced the story. Naturally, this is leading many to believe that the political happening of the '80's will play a role in this film as well.
The most important event arguably during this decade was the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, a tense standoff between the two superpowers with each looking to reduce the global power of the other and the threat of a nuclear exchange serving as the backdrop. Will Wonder Woman assert herself into this dispute? It would definitely be something that would be characteristic of her.
3 CIRCE
Circe is a major adversary of Wonder Woman's and it is quite probable that she will eventually show up. There are a couple of reasons why the rumors are growing that she may be in Wonder Woman 84. First, the movie is shooting under the working title of "Magic Hour" -- and with Circe being a a powerful sorceress this has led some to believe that this is an indicator of her involvement in some way.
Additionally, Circe is capable of spells and even taking the form of other humans. The theory being speculated by some outlets is that Diana may be under a spell, causing her to imagine she is seeing Steve Trevor -- or Circe has taken the form of him.
2 DR. POISON WILL RETURN
Only one villain in Wonder Woman managed to survive -- Dr.Poison's life was spared by Wonder Woman as she opted to not take out her anger on her. This has led some to believe that we have not heard the last of Dr.Poison. The actress who played the role, Elena Anaya, has confirmed that she is contracted for more movies.
Being an expert chemist, one theory is that she develops something to prolong her life which could be the reason she will return. However, if she does come back, would it be as a villain or to help out Wonder Woman as a thank you for sparing her?
1 SECRET VILLAIN
The casting of Narcos star, Pedro Pascal, has set off rumors in terms of what his role will be. So far, the only information is that it will be a "key role". This has led to rumors that he will be playing a yet to be named villain, similar to how Ares was revealed in Wonder Woman.
As to which villain he might play, some reports are suggesting it may be Maxwell Lord or some Greek mythological figure. Whoever it turns out to be, or if it is just a "regular guy", there is a lot of interest as to how the actor will impact the movie.