Confirmed: Kristen Wiig To Play 'Wonder Woman 2' Villain Cheetah
Kristen Wiig lands a key role in a superhero movie as DC Comics announces her as the villain Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2.
The Saturday Night Live alum will make her supervillain debut in the Wonder Woman sequel under the direction of Patty Jenkins and alongside Gal Gadot. Both women tweeted their excitement at the prospect of Wiig joining the female-driven movie.
So excited to confirm the most thrilling news. Yes! It’s true! So incredibly lucky to welcome the sensationally talented Kristen Wiig to our Wonder Woman family. Can't wait to finally work with one of my favorites. And SO excited by what we have planned. #Cheetah!!! @GalGadot pic.twitter.com/Gn0jICiIAH — Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) March 9, 2018
I’m SO excited welcome on board Kristen! This is going to be WONDERful! https://t.co/FqQ191m1s0 — Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) March 9, 2018
Cheetah vs Wonder Woman
It seems apt that Diana (a.k.a. Wonder Woman) be pitted against a similarly capable woman for her second solo film.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Cheetah is one of Wonder Woman's most famous antagonists with feline qualities including agility, strength, and physical attributes like spots, tail, and claws.
While a number of women have assumed the identity of the villain over the years, a few stand out such as the original Priscilla Rich who had a split personality as a debutante and a huntress. One of the most recognized Cheetahs is Barbara Minerva in 1987, who was a British archaeologist.
With Wonder Woman 2 reportedly set in the 1980s Cold War, Minerva could very well be Wiig's Cheetah, although no confirmation has been revealed yet.
Wonder Woman 2
The first Wonder Woman film wowed audiences and critics, which is a much-needed win for the DC Extended Universe with their history of disappointing attempts like Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
That doesn't mean that the women behind Wonder Woman will be taking it easy for the sequel or rehashing the same story from the first film. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in January, Jenkins and Gadot stressed that the second film will offer something new to the fans.
"We're actually making a totally different film with a lot of the same, similar like things that we love, but it's its own movie completely, so it's not 'two' to us," Jenkins says. "It's an entirely new adventure together that we couldn't be luckier [to do]."
There is even a possibility of the original television Diana, Lynda Carter, to pop in.
"We actually desperately tried to get her in the first one and we had the scheduling that couldn't work, so she's always been a part of our Wonder Woman family," the director adds. "We won't say anything yet, but we certainly — there's no lack of trying."
The movie is expected to begin filming on May.
Wonder Woman 2 is slated to hit theaters on Nov. 1, 2019.
