Developments on Wonder Woman 1984 have been quiet for a while. But with the film’s release set for next summer, there was bound to be more news sometime. Saturday Night Live‘s Kristen Wiig will play the classic Wonder Woman villain, Cheetah. Since she was announced, many have wondered what she’ll look like. We may finally have an answer.
The Wonder Woman News Twitter account shared a piece of merchandise for the upcoming film. What it looks like is a mug with Wiig’s version of the antagonist.
https://twitter.com/WonderWoman84HQ/status/1202358484743999489?s=20
Hopefully, she’ll go through some more changes throughout the film. But usually merchandising shows the ultimate appearance. Though, this may prevent any spoilers. Cheetah is supposed to be more like an anthropomorphic feline. I was hoping for something closer to a castmember of Cats.
The DC Comics Encyclopedia lists three different Cheetahs. Kristen Wiig will play the Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva version. Cheetah II’s first appearance was in 1987, a full three years after this movie takes place. The encyclopedia describes her as:
“Archaeologist Barbara Minerva sought historical artifacts that would further her fame. On one expedition, Minerva discovered the lost temple that was home to the African plant-god temple Urzkartaga. After witnessing another tribe attack the Urzkartagans during their bloodletting ritual, Minerva forced the priest Chuma to reveal the secrets of the ritual. Minerva endured the bloodletting ritual and killed her associate Dr. Leavens so that she could offer his blood to Urzkartaga. She transformed into a vessel for the Cheetah, a feral fiend driven to hunt down human prey. Chuma became her loyal companion, helping to renew her powers while he tended the plant-god.”
IMDB does not have an actor attached to Chuma. So I doubt she’ll have a sidekick in the movie.
Wonder Woman 1984 will arrive in theaters on June 5th, 2020. We’ll find out Minerva’s exact fate then. We’ll also learn what Diana was up to thirty-six years ago. And we’ll also learn why Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor is back sixty-six years after his death. When Screen Geek hears more developments about the film, as well as DC’s others, we’ll let you know.