After months of anticipation (and multiple release date delays), the second trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 officially made its debut. The trailer showcased a lot of what fans can expect in the upcoming sequel, which will follow Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) in a previously-unseen adventure in the 1980s. One heavily-speculated-about element of the film has been its antagonist, Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), and how exactly her villainous form will translate to the big screen. Today’s trailer finally gave fans their answer, as it showed Barbara fully transforming into her Cheetah form, something that has been hinted at in various promotional material. You can check out screenshots of it below.
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“I’m a superhero nerd, so this is my dream. I’ve always wanted to have superpowers,” Wiig said of taking on the role in a recent interview. “My agent called and said, “Patty Jenkins wants to talk to you. She won’t say what it’s about, but she’s directing another Wonder Woman movie.” It was all very secretive. I went out to London to test for it, which was one of the most nerve-racking things of my life. After that, Patty and I met for a drink and really hit it off. I didn’t hear anything for a while when I got home, so I flipped out when I got the part. I never thought I’d get the chance to be in one of those movies — I’m in my 40s, and I’m not known for being this type of actor. I would look around the set and think, ‘I can’t believe I’m in this.’”
In the comics, Barbara Ann Minerva is largely portrayed as an archaeologist, who accidentally gains the powers of a Cheetah from a hidden tomb in Africa. By and large, Barbara regards her powers to be both a blessing and a curse, as they often lead to her experiencing severe pain. She and Wonder Woman frequently become at odds with each other, with Barbara being fueled by a mix of bloodlust and ego.
“We were super fans of Kristen, and we love how funny she is, but I’ve also been a huge admirer of what a great actress she is for a long time,” Jenkins explained during a convention appearance late last year. “So when we needed someone to go all the way from one end of the spectrum of being funny, sweet Diana’s friend, all the way to a totally different place, we knew that Kristen Wiig would kill it, and she went beyond our wildest dreams.”
The cast of WW84 also includes Chris Pine returning as Steve Trevor, and Pedro Pascal (Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones) playing Maxwell Lord.
“You know what was cool,” Jenkins said in a previous interview. “We’re treating the era differently than I’ve seen so far, which I feel like there have a lot of interesting versions of doing the era. In our version, as a child of the ‘8os myself, yes there was funny, ha-ha outfits I can’t believe I wore, for sure.”
“But there’s also incredible music, incredible art,” the director continued. “And so I really felt like the 1980s is mankind at their most extreme and at their best. It was when we could do anything we wanted and we had no idea of the price yet. So we have really committed to that version of the ’80s, where it’s not needle drops, and it’s not a bunch of jokes. It’s actually the most aspirational and elegant version of the ’80s in many places.”
What do you think of the best look yet at Wonder Woman 1984‘s Cheetah? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
