The DC Extended Universe has had a fascinating tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. When the shared universe struggled to find its footing in early stages, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman showed what the DCEU was truly capable of. A sequel was quickly green lit, although it was hit with a number of delays. Wonder Woman 1984 is currently expected to hit theaters in August, and will introduce a slew of new characters-- including a pair of villains. Kristin Wiig and Pedro Pascal will star as Cheetah and Maxwell Lord respectively, and Jenkins recently explained why the sequel needed two separate foes.
Comic book fan were thrilled to learn that Cheetah would be making her DCEU debut in Wonder Woman 1984, with Kristen Wiig playing the character both before and after her villainous transformation. But Game of Thrones alum Pedro Pascal is also playing Maxwell Lord, who looks like he'll provide a different, human threat to Diana Prince. Patty Jenkins recently spoke to the need for both villains, saying:
It turned out that the story was the thing that gave birth to the need for both. 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.
Well, this is interesting. It looks like Patty Jenkins didn't start out writing Wonder Woman 1984 with hopes of bringing Maxwell Lord into the DC Extended Universe. But as the process went on, his place in the story becomes clear. And it looks like he'll have quite the influence on the highly anticipated movie's mysterious events.
Patty Jenkins' comments to Total Film (via CBM) help to peel back the curtain on the director's creative process. Jenkins came to the first Wonder Woman with a clear vision, and it looks like that's also the cause for 1984. The movie will jump ahead in time and show a very different Diana Prince. And smart money says the combination of Cheetah and Maxwell Lord will provide a unique challenge Gal Gadot's beloved superhero.
The story of Wonder Woman 1984 is largely a mystery, as Warner Bros. has been keeping its cards close to the chest. The trailers revealed Kristen Wiig's character has a relationship with both Diana Prince and Maxwell Lord in the movie, and it should be fascinating to see how that dynamic plays out. Lord will be at least partly responsible for Barbara Ann Minerva's transformation into Cheetah, although her full appearance hasn't been shown yet.
Pedro Pascal is an actor whose star power has been steadily growing over the years. He's got previous experience with genre work from playing Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones and the title character in Disney+'s The Mandalorian. He's a great choice to join the Wonder Woman franchise and I'm eager to see how much villainy he truly gets into.
Wonder Woman 1984 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 14th. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your trips to the movies once they reopen.
