We got our first real look at Kristen Wiig as Cheetah in the just releasedWonder Woman 1984 trailer. Since her announcement, comedic actress Kristen Wiig has always seemed like a surprising choice to play the role of villain. Known mostly for her time spent onSaturday Night Liveand comedies such asMacGruber,BridesmaidsandGhostbusters, her ability to play a fighting comic book bad guy has been completely untested.
Well, here is director Patty Jenkins to explain why she cast Wiig, and why we should be excited to see the results whenWonder Woman 1984is released in theaters this summer.
“We were super fans of Kristen, and we love how funny she is, but also I’ve been a huge admirer of what a great actress she is for a long time. So when we needed someone to go all the way from one end of the spectrum of being funny, sweet Diana’s friend, all the way to a totally different place, we knew thatKristen Wiigwould kill it, and she went beyond our wildest dreams.”
It all sounds very promising, indeed. And we got an even better look at Kristen Wiig as Cheetah in theWonder Woman 1984 character postersreleased during CCXP.
The idea of Wiig going from funny and sweet to the other end of the spectrum (presumably meaning becoming a cat-themed baddie) makes perfect sense, and could well prove to be the movie’s stand-out performance. Telling the crowd atCCXPthat she was already a ‘super fan’ of Wiig, Jenkins also asserted her belief that Wiig is a very talented actress outside of the comedy we have all become accustomed to, and that the role of Cheetah inWonder Woman 1984allowed her the perfect opportunity to employ Wiig’s acting talents outside of making people laugh.
The character’s look has also been something that audiences cannot wait to see, and how closely aligned to the comics it will be has been the subject of much discussion. Though we have yet to see any official pictures of theCheetahin her final form, Jenkins did offer an encouraging bit of insight into how they have achieved the look.
“We tried to do as much as we could practically, and we pulled off most of it.”
Saying that they pulled off most of it suggests that there will be a minor use of CGI used to turn Wiig into a human-cheetah hybrid, but the use of mostly practical effects leaves us hopeful that she won’t look like a nightmarish reject from the upcomingCats.
Wonder Woman 1984will transport us back to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing Kristen Wiig’s all-new foe, The Cheetah. Featuring Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, and Chris Pine as a resurrected Steve Trevor, the sequel will find Diana facing a vast array of conflicts and difficulties.
Whether the casting of Kristen Wiig was the right way to go remains to be seen, but we can all pass judgement whenWonder Woman 1984is released on August 02, 2025. This comes to us fromWonder Woman Twitter.
