Wonder Woman 1984’s Kristen Wiig Teases Villain Cheetah’s “Different Evolutions”

A leopard never changes its spots, but star Kristen Wiig teases a cheetah will undergo “different evolutions” throughout Wonder Woman 1984. A newcomer to superhero franchises, the Saturday Night Live alum and star of the rebooted Ghostbusters plays meek archaeologist Barbara Minerva, who comes to resent Diana Prince (Gal Gadot). When she’s somehow transformed into a super-powered metahuman known as Cheetah, Wiig’s character finds herself aligned with shrewd businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) — a dynamic duo that proves trouble for Wonder Woman and seemingly resurrected World War I hero Steve Trevor (Chris Pine).

“We weren’t allowed to take any pictures. This was lockdown,” Wiig told InStyle about her time on the set of the Patty Jenkins-directed sequel. “They have it somewhere, and you will see it. But there are different evolutions to my character. I will leave you with that.”

Wiig spent eight months in London during the making of WW84, a blockbuster-sized production that brings the titular Amazon warrior into the mid-1980s. After months of “really f—ing hard” training, Wiig was in superhero — or supervillain — shape.

“My schedule wasn’t like Gal’s by any means, because she was there all day every day,” Wiig said. “But I had stunt training, and when they’d show me previews of what I’d have to do, I’d be like, ‘Are you insane?’ By the end I felt strong and had a ton of energy. I felt good — it wasn’t about getting skinny or muscly. But I went through so much Epsom salt. And wine.”

Asked how she joined the DC Extended Universe, Wiig recalled being approached by Jenkins during the “very secretive” early stages of the filmmaker’s Wonder Woman follow-up.

“I’m a superhero nerd, so this is my dream. I’ve always wanted to have superpowers,” Wiig said. “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.”

Travelling to London to test for the role “was one of the most nerve-racking things of my life,” Wiig admitted. “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,” she added. “I would look around the set and think, ‘I can’t believe I’m in this.’”

Wonder Woman 1984 is currently scheduled to release in theaters October 2.