It looks like Gal Gadot will be going up against a Saturday Night Live alum in the upcoming sequel to Wonder Woman, according to a recent report.
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The Patty Jenkins production is looking at casting Kristen Wiig as the villain Cheetah for Wonder Woman II, as reported by Deadline. The trade states that the deal could be finalized “quickly.”
Wiig’s Cheetah would square off with Gadot’s Wonder Woman in a Cold War-era setting, with filming confirmed to begin later this summer.
Cheetah was reported to have a role in the film a few days ago when The Hashtag Show said that Emma Stone was in talks with Warner Bros. to play the villain, though the actor turned the role down.
Some people speculated that the film’s working title of “Magic Hour” seemed to tease that Circe would be involved, and that is still a possibility, but Deadline’s report seemingly confirms that Cheetah will have a prominent role in Wonder Woman II.
Wiig is primarily known for her comedy chops, though she has shown she has range in films like The Skeleton Twins, The Martian, and Downsizing. She also wrote and starred in the hit Bridesmaids. Her first major role was a supporting gig as Jill, a cranky TV exec in Judd Apatow’s 2007 film Knocked Up.
Wonder Woman II would be her first role in a superhero movie, and she’d likely share top billing with Gadot as Cheetah. It’s just another step in her continuously rising profile. The former Saturday Night Live star has seen a significant boost to her profile since leaving the sketch comedy show. Appearing in Wonder Woman II could cement her status on the A-List.
Many different versions of Cheetah have appeared over DC Comics’ publishing history, but the most prominent version and current iteration of the character is Barbara Minerva. She is an anthropologist and friend of Diana’s who becomes the Cheetah after discovering a lost, mystical city and being married to its demigod.
Diana attempted to stop it but failed and Barbara blamed her for the transformation, which also came with cannibalistic urges. She is one of Wonder Woman’s most prominent foes, and a logical choice for the villain of the sequel to the 2017 hit.
Wonder Woman II is scheduled to premiere in theaters on November 1st, 2019. The next movie on DC Films’ slate is Aquaman, which hits theaters on December 21.
Do you want to see Wiig play this iconic Wonder Woman villain? Let us know in the comments!
