Wonder Woman 1984 Director Doesn't Want DC Movies to Copy the Marvel Cinematic Universe

A shared superhero universe like the Marvel Cinematic Universe "shouldn't be the status quo," says Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, who returns to the connected DC Extended Universe with Wonder Woman 1984. Like the Marvel Studios produced Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, and the upcoming Black Widow, Warner Bros.' superhero sequel catching up with Amazon warrior Diana (Gal Gadot) nearly 60 years after the World War I-set Wonder Woman has a unique tone — one reflected in the technicolored marketing material reflecting Wonder Woman 1984's mid-'80s setting. Like predecessors Justice League, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad, all set in the same continuity, Wonder Woman 1984 has its own flavoring:

"I love that about it," Jenkins says in the latest issue of Total Film magazine (via GamesRadar). "To me, that's what superhero movies – period – always were. I think the exception to that was that Marvel had such success doing a shared universe. But that certainly shouldn't be the status quo."

Like the many decades of comic books that inspired both the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, Jenkins added, "There's this huge variety of comic books, and their look and tone and world are radically different. And they don't always inevitably join together. Sometimes they do, and that's really fun, and that's that thing. But a lot of times, they have their own run."

Jenkins continued, "I'm psyched that DC – and frankly, Marvel's actually doing it a little bit more now, too, with some of the tone of Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Widow and Doctor Strange – they feel very different in tone. But I love that about DC, and I've always thought that that's a wonderful thing about DC – they were all so different."

In 1984, Diana is magically reunited with long lost lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) when she encounters two all-new foes, Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) and the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).

With director Patty Jenkins back at the helm and Gal Gadot returning in the title role, "Wonder Woman 1984" is Warner Bros. Pictures' follow up to the DC Super Hero's first outing, 2017's record-breaking "Wonder Woman," which took in $822 million at the worldwide box office. The film also stars Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as The Cheetah, Pedro Pascal as Max Lord, Robin Wright as Antiope, and Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta. Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot and Stephen Jones are producing the film. Rebecca Steel Roven Oakley, Richard Suckle, Marianne Jenkins, Geoff Johns, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo and Wesley Coller are the executive producers.

Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to open August 14.