Wonder Woman 1984 Director Talks Cheetah and Her Relationship to Diana

Though we got a look at Maxwell Lord in the first Wonder Woman 1984 trailer, we didn't really get to see Kristen Wiig's Cheetah in the preview. While we wait for our first look at the character, director Patty Jenkins talks about Cheetah's relationship with Diana and what makes her an interesting villain.

Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Jenkins explains, "In the lore, Cheetah is often someone who's friends with Diana but jealous of her… And I feel like Kristen's playing a character who's both ends of the spectrum — she's your warm, funny friend who's kind and interesting and then can transform into something completely different. Yes, she happens to be a woman, but she's straight out of the Gene Hackman Superman school of great, funny, tremendous actors. I don't think of her being a female villain, although she is. I feel that way about Wonder Woman, too. The female component of it is huge, but she's also just a hero, a universal hero."

Admittedly Kristen Wiig was an odd choice when it came to playing the part of the main antagonist. No offense to her, but I would expect Cheetah to be doing a lot of jumping around and gymnastics, and at 46-years-old and no notable action roles, I was curious as to why she was cast.

Either way, I think Wiig will do amazing. She has great range as an actress, and I can expect that a lot of those Cheetah action scenes are going to be done by stuntpeople or enhanced with CGI. What I am excited about is her regular interactions with Diana. Hopefully, she becomes something more meaningful rather than just comic relief.

Catch Wiig as Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 which hits theaters June 4.

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