A number of unexpected DC Comics characters could appear as villains in Wonder Woman 1984. Gal Gadot’s titular heroine will already have her hands full with Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristin Wiig), but there’s a possibility that there will be other threats lurking in the upcoming DCEU movie. Given Warner Bros.' focus on future additions to the DCEU, creating bridging work to build on in future would make sense.

Wonder Woman, who fought Ares in her first solo outing, will be up against two of her most dangerous adversaries when she returns to the big screen in 2021. After multiple delays, the highly-anticipated Wonder Woman sequel will bring her story forward from World War I to the 1980s, where Diana will be mysteriously reunited with Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. Steve, who was her love interest in the first movie, sacrificed himself during World War II, but will somehow be revived in 1984. While Diana will understandably be excited to see Steve again, their reunion will coincide with the rise of Maxwell Lord and Cheetah, two classic Wonder Woman villains from DC Comics.

Related: DCEU: Every Confirmed (& Rumored) Upcoming DC Movie Villain

Trailers for Wonder Woman 2 indicate that the bulk of the fighting in the movie will be between Wonder Woman and Cheetah, perhaps under the control of the devious Maxwell Lord and compelled to do his bidding. Though the problems the pair will pose are more than enough to hold Wonder Woman’s attention in the movie, DC could have more surprises in store for Wonder Woman 1984. Other villains could be hidden somewhere in the story. These characters could serve as secondary antagonists, or they could be meant to set up Wonder Woman 3 or a different DCEU movie. Alternatively, a villain could make a cameo appearance in a post-credits scene. Here are some DC Comics villains who might show up in Wonder Woman 1984.

Doctor Psycho

Doctor Psycho talks while lokking deranged

Fans have already theorized that Doctor Psycho, a classic Wonder Woman villain who creates illusions with his mind, will have a presence in Wonder Woman 1984. The idea behind these theories is that Doctor Psycho will use his powers to create a fake, phantom version of Steve Trevor to trick Diana rather than Maxwell Lord's apparently magical artifact granting real wishes. While film-makers have been known to throw in some misdirection, Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins has previously debunked this rumor, which casts some doubt on the hopes that Doctor Psycho will be in the sequel, but that doesn’t rule him out altogether.

Simon Stagg

Supposed plot leaks of Wonder Woman 1984 have pointed to Simon Stagg being a business associate of Pedro Pascal. Regardless of if there’s any truth to these leaks, a connection between Stagg and Lord does seem plausible. In DC Comics, Simon Stagg has similarities to Lord, in that both are wicked characters who use their wealth and power to accomplish their evil goals. Stagg has gone up against the Justice League, but he’s primarily been utilized as an antagonist of the superhero known as Metamorpho, whose love interest is Stagg’s daughter.

Stagg, who has already appeared in live-action via The Flash season 1, could be adapted to the DC Extended Universe through Wonder Woman 1984 as a businessman who works with and is aware of Maxwell Lord's villainous plans. Since Stagg isn’t necessarily a huge villain in DC Comics, he could have a small presence in Wonder Woman 1984 as an underling and a member of his company.

Related: Wonder Woman 1984 Theory: Steve Trevor Is Still Alive In The DCEU

Alexander Luthor Sr.

Lex Luthor DCEU Batman V Superman Cover

In DC Comics, Alexander Luthor Sr. is a benevolent scientist from Earth-3 and a key character in the crossover event, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. He helped the heroes of the DC Universe battle the various versions of Lex Luthor and also assisted in the mission to stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying the multiverse.

While DC Comics’ Alexander Luthor Sr. isn’t a villain by any means, the DCEU’s take on the character is a different story. A person by the name of Alexander Luthor was confirmed to exist in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, as Lex's father, of course. Based on how Lex (Jesse Eisenberg) has described him, he was an unscrupulous, ruthless, and abusive business executive. He’s never been seen, but that’s because he died in 2000, but Wonder Woman 1984 can properly introduce him, thanks to the film’s setting. Alexander Luthor Sr. could be in the prime of his life when Wonder Woman takes on Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. Similar to what the movie could do with Simon Stagg, Alexander Luthor Sr. may have a business relationship of some sort with Lord. Using the father of Superman’s greatest villain would be a neat way for the film to tie into the wider DCEU.

Veronica Cale

A character that fans are discussing as a possible candidate for Wonder Woman 3’s villain is Veronica Cale, who was originally created to be Wonder Woman’s very own Lex Luthor. Cale is a rich businesswoman who holds a deep level of resentment toward Diana, as she believes that the heroine hasn’t earned the respect she receives in the DC Universe. Cale often uses her connections and money to cause trouble for Wonder Woman by engineering schemes designed to take her down.

In Wonder Woman 1984, she could be introduced in a scene with Maxwell Lord and some of his associates. Whereas appearances from Simon Stagg and Alexander Luthor Sr. may not have any real importance in terms of what they mean for the DCEU’s future, the inclusion of Veronica Cale could be key to Wonder Woman 3. A post-credits scene could reveal that Veronica Cale was somehow involved in Lord’s scheme and that she may have somehow benefited from Lord's defeat at the end of the movie.

Related: Is Diana's Invisible Jet In Wonder Woman 1984? Everything We Know

Circe

Circe in DC comics

In Wonder Woman 3, the DCEU could go back to the formula of the first movie, which centered on Diana going up against a Greek god. If so, the next Wonder Woman movie villain could be Circe, a character Wonder Woman has been at odds with since the Golden Age of DC Comics. She’s normally depicted as an evil, immortal sorceress who uses her command over the magical arts to push Wonder Woman to her limits. In the past, she has used her magical powers to enhance the capabilities of Wonder Woman’s existing foes. She also has a long history with the Amazons, who she has tried to dispose of on multiple occasions. With this in mind, Circe being the main villain of Wonder Woman 3 would allow the movie to make the Amazons and Themyscira central to the main plot. Wonder Woman 1984 could build up to Circe having a conflict with Diana in the future by including a scene or two with the character. She could be featured or at least discussed in the portions of the movie that include Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielson) and the Amazons.

More: Every Major DCEU Event Before Wonder Woman 1984

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