DC Fandome's 'Wonder Woman 1984' Panel Includes Venus Williams, Lynda Carter, And New Trailer Showing Cheetah

Saturday’s DC FanDome virtual convention opened with a bang. The first (pre-recorded) panel was focused on the next theatrical DC film, Wonder Woman 1984, sequel to the 2017 Wonder Woman film. Director Patty Jenkins and actors Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig (who plays Cheetah), and Pedro Pascal (who plays Maxwell Lord) were in attendance (remotely from their own individual locations, of course).

The sequel was previously intended to be released this summer before being pushed back to early October due to pandemic-related concerns. At the virtual panel, Jenkins said, “We believe in putting it in the cinema.” So for now, it seems that the intention is still to release it in theaters, rather than put it on a streaming service or VOD as has been the case with other films.

Fans were able to send in questions via video. Surprisingly, one of those fans was tennis player Venus Williams, who asked who would win in a tennis match between Wonder Woman and Cheetah. Wiig’s response was that Wonder Woman’s racket would be too heavy, whereas Cheetah’s speed would give her an advantage allowing her to win. Visibly amused, Gadot acknowledged that she understood the reasoning despite her disagreement over what the outcome would be. Williams’ appearance was a welcome surprise, and it is a reminder that some of the celebrities that people may look up to also have heroes of their own. Wonder Woman is an inspiration to people all over.

That was not the only surprise; Lynda Carter, who portrayed Wonder Woman in the live-action series from 1975 appeared via video. Jenkins acknowledged that, without Carter’s portrayal as inspiration, the Wonder Woman films on which she worked might not have existed. Wiig geeked out, saying how she was Wonder Woman for Halloween as a little girl. Carter then told a story about how Gadot’s portrayal of the character in the 2017 film caused Carter’s daughter to say, “I finally get what Wonder Woman means to everyone.” It must be a humbling experience for Gadot to know that her portrayal helped Carter’s daughter come to that realization. The Wonder Woman legacy is something that is very dear to those who were in attendance at the virtual panel. As Jenkins explained, “We just hope to take the torch and pass it forward.”

Of course, the panel would not have been complete without a new trailer (viewable here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW2E2Fnh52w). Perhaps the most notable thing about the new trailer is that it gives fans a good idea of how Cheetah looks in this new film. And it is not simply a glimpse; Wiig’s character post-transformation is visible for several seconds. However, the scene takes place at a dark hour, so we do not get a good idea of how the coloring of her fur would look overall. So the jury may still be out about just how convincing this CGI may end up being. What is clear is that Wonder Woman confronts Cheetah while wearing the golden armor that we have already seen in the marketing. This may end up being a very intriguing confrontation to see in context, once we get the full story.

This 25-minute panel did just enough to keep fans (or at least, fans like myself) interested in the movie that was expected to have been released already. From the sounds of it, this will be another superhero film worth watching. The hype has not died at all, and there are surely many excited fans who just cannot wait to see the finished product. It is probably a safe bet that Wonder Woman 1984 will make a fine addition to the DC Extended Universe, and DC in general.

Written By Steven Shinder

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