Wonder Woman 1984 Director Clarifies Rumor About Diana And Cheetah

Kristen Wiig in Wonder Woman 1984

It's been an interesting few weeks for the DC Extended Universe. News of Justice League's Snyder Cut becoming a reality broke the internet, especially after fans campaigned for its release for years. But the next DC movie heading to theaters is Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984, which was pushed back a number of months after theaters closed. The long-awaited sequel will feature the debut of Kristen Wiig's Barbara Ann Minerva / Cheetah, although Jenkins recently clarified a rumor about her relationship with Diana Prince.

Cheetah is one of the most iconic Wonder Woman villains from the comics, and fans are eager to see what Kristen Wiig brings to the role when 1984 finally hits theaters. The movie's trailers show that Diana and Barbara with some sort of friendly relationship, before things eventually take a turn thanks to Pedro Pascal's Maxwell Lord. One popular theory was that the two women might have a romantic connection in Wonder Woman's sequel, but Patty Jenkins cleared this up, saying:

It might have [happened] in a different storyline. But because this storyline was so clearly about Steve [Trevor] coming back, the whole story was about Steve. It’s all a love story with Steve. There wasn’t room for two for Diana.

Well, that was honest. We shouldn't expect Cheetah and Wonder Woman's relationship to cross over to the romantic side throughout Wonder Woman 1984's runtime. Because while Patty Jenkins isn't opposed to that plot line, the upcoming sequel is very much focused on Diana's mysterious reunion with Chris Pine's Steve Trevor.

Patty Jenkins' comments to SFX Magazine (via CBR) helps to answer one of the many questions still lingering around Wonder Woman 1984. The movie has been in the can for a while now, but it's been a delayed a few times along the way. As such, moviegoers are eager for any and all information about Diana Prince's second solo flick in the DC Extended Universe. Especially where Cheetah is involved.

The footage and information about Kristen Wiig's Barbara Ann Minerva / Cheetah has been limited, as Warner Bros. and Patty Jenkins are hoping to keep the contents of Wonder Woman 1984 under wraps. In fact, we still haven't seen the character's full transformation and appearance as Cheetah. The closest thing we've gotten is some merchandise, but Jenkins' plans for the character are largely a mystery.

Diana Prince won't have the chance to have any romantic connection with Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984, as the movie will somehow resurrect Chris Pine's Steve Trevor. Despite his apparent death in the final moments of Wonder Woman, Steve somehow has a major role in the sequel. What's more, he hasn't aged in the decades since Diana last saw him.

Wonder Woman 1984 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.