Wonder Woman 1984 Director Explains Why Cheetah and Maxwell Lord Team Up

Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins explains why Cheetah and Maxwell Lord team up in the film. She sat down to speak with SyFy about the upcoming blockbuster. Since that first trailer and the casting, it has remained a mystery why these two Wonder Woman mainstays would team up in the movie. Well, as with most of the stronger villain motivations in comics, it is a personal matter for Kristen Wiig’s character. Pedro Pascal’s Lord is all too willing to help, provided that he has something to gain in the relationship. So, it seems like our hero is going to have her work cut out for her in WW84.

“What makes Barbara turn into Cheetah is feeling like she’s never been as good as someone like Diana,” Jenkins began. “She reminds me of certain people I’ve known who have such low self-confidence, that they’re always holding themselves back. Then once they start to embrace change, out comes this ugly resentment built up over all those years.”

So, what of Maxwell Lord’s motivations in the film? Well, as previously stated, this is a man that’s always looking for an angle. He’s wondering how he can come out ahead in any situation that he finds himself in. Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins both said as much at a convention appearance last year.

Gadot said of her work with Pascal, “I had many different fun moments working with him, but I can only say that the most memorable one, probably that I can really talk about, is in the beginning of the movie. When Diana Prince meets Max Lord, let’s just say she’s never met anyone like him before. That’s all I can say.”

Jenkins also offered, “Max Lord is a character very much of the time period the movie is in, he’s the King of Infomercials, and he’s selling a dream to the public, and he’ll do anything to be successful. But sometimes when you get what you want, greatness comes with a price. So that’s Maxwell Lord.”

So, we have one villain offering success at a price and another in Cheetah that will do anything to get back at Diana. Sounds like a great pairing for the screen, but a terrible one for Wonder Woman. Luckily, she’s got Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor along for the ride again so maybe there will be more help than we all think.

Are you psyched to see Wonder Woman 1984 when it hits theaters later this year? Let us know down in the comments!