Wonder Woman 1984 Director Reveals the Need for Two Villains and Steve Trevor’s Return

Wonder Woman 1984‘s Patty Jenkins has two villains in the upcoming film and she’s revealed why they need to be there. During an interview with Total Film, she also mentioned Steve Trevor’s return. Much has been made of the duo standing opposite Diana in the Wonder Woman sequel. Kristen Wiig’s Barbara Minerva is supposed to become the Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal’s Max Lord will also be there to hinder the hero. What are their motivations and how did they come together? The film will explain how one of the hero’s friends ends up clashing with her. The director mentioned that fans are about to see Pascal “like you’ve never seen him before.”

“It turned out that the story was the thing that gave birth to the need for both [villains],” Jenkins explained to the magazine. “It wasn’t that I thought I needed both. Cheetah was the villain that we were focused on having in this movie, but then Max Lord, throughout the history of Wonder Woman comics – he serves a very mechanical purpose, often.”

“You all go on the journey together,” she continued. “The movie and the characters all go on a journey together. It did not at all come from, ‘We’ve got to have Steve back.’ I was so pleased when I thought of the story idea, and then intrinsic to that story was Steve coming back, because we love Chris. But it just came naturally.”

Lots of people were very confused by Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor being present in WW84. Would this new adventure end up being a sequel or a reboot of the popular first entry. Well, in Jenkins’ eyes there’s no question that this one is a sequel. She told Total Film about it in the same interview.

“There was a little period of time where people got very upset, and questioning: ‘Is it not a sequel? Is it a total reboot?’” Jenkins explained to the publication. “It is a sequel, insofar as nothing is contradicted between the two movies. But it’s very important to me that it’s not more of the first movie. It’s a totally different movie. Now, when you see the trailer, you can feel it.”

She continued, “It’s a different tone, look, feel, world, and context. That was what important to me. This is its own standalone story that, of course, is also a continuation of our characters and their linear line. It’s just its own movie with its own very different feel.”

Wonder Woman 1984 hits theaters on August 14th.

Are you excited to see some of the battles from Wonder Woman 1984 late this summer? Let us know down in the comments!