Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah could return in Wonder Woman 3

Director Patty Jenkins isn’t ruling out a return for Wonder Woman 1984’s villain.

Kristen Wiig's Cheetah could return in Wonder Woman 3 1

Wonder Woman 1984 was released into theaters and on HBO Max almost a week ago, so fans have had plenty of time to digest Gal Gadot’s second solo outing as Diana Prince, and what it could mean for the future of the franchise.

Wonder Woman 3 was fast-tracked into active development just two days after the sequel arrived, giving the impression that Warner Bros. are more than happy with what director Patty Jenkins delivered. One of the highlights of the movie was Kristen Wiig’s Barbara Minerva, with the actress best known for her work in the comedy genre proving surprisingly capable as the villain of a $200 million comic book blockbuster.

Barbara’s arc is pretty straightforward, in that she simply wants to be more like Diana, but gets more than she bargained for after wishing to be like her colleague via the Dreamstone, only to discover that Ms. Price has more than a few secrets of her own.

Wonder Woman 1984 - Official Main Trailer

Beginning a slow-burning transformation into Cheetah, Barbara gradually grows more powerful and confident, before handily defeating Wonder Woman in their first battle and siding with Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord after she refuses to give up her newfound powers without a fight.

Of course, the title heroine eventually triumphs in the climactic third-act battle, by which time Barbara has nailed her audition for Cats and gone fully feline, but by the time the story draws to a close she’s back in human form and very much alive.

During a watch party for Wonder Woman 1984, Jenkins teased that we might see Barbara once again in the third installment, which poses several questions. The most important is whether Wiig will reprise the role given that Wonder Woman 3 has been confirmed to take place in the modern-day, meaning that the character will be almost 40 years older. Then again, perhaps she retained some of her superhuman abilities and will remain forever young similar to Diana. All we know for certain is that nothing can ever be ruled out in the realm of superhero movies, but fans would no doubt love to see Wiig back on the big screen once more.