The actress who played young Diana Prince in Wonder Woman 1984 did all of her own stunts. Lilly Aspell reprised her role as young Diana after playing her in 2017's Wonder Woman. The opening scene finds the youngster competing in an athletic competition with her fellow Amazonians. The competition finds the group on an obstacle course of sorts. Those participating must traverse an athletic course in the arena before diving to the water below.
The scene follows Aspell as she swims through the sea to the horses on the shore. She then must ride through the surrounding hills while shooting arrows that indicate her progress. Unfortunately, the young Diana falters, falling off her horse. Ultimately, Antiope (Robin Wright) prevents her from winning, telling her that she cannot win honorably because she took a shortcut. Gal Gadot has said the scene makes her cry and the actress's latest reveal hints at why.
Gadot revealed on Twitter that Aspell did all of her own stunts for the high-flying scene. The actress says that the pair were able to interact a lot between the two films and Gadot had nothing but praise for the young actress. She says that Aspell is a truly talented young actress and, on top of everything else, Gadot revealed that throughout filming Aspell and her daughter Alma became close friends.
The scenes of young Diana are pivotal to the film, revealing key aspects of the future superhero's upbringing that influence her decisions. The first film did this, showing how Diana went from a scrappy, rebellious fighter to an expert warrior. Wonder Woman 1984 wasn't going to return to Themyscira originally, but Patty Jenkins revealed that it made more sense to explore Diana's upbringing further.
Of course, Jenkins and screenwriters Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham find a great way to bring viewers back to the Amazonian island of Themyscira. Using the lessons young Diana learned in the opening scene, Wonder Woman is able to see clearly the moral issue at the center of the film. It ties together quite nicely and, on top of that, gives fans a glimpse at the childhood of the DCEU's most popular superhero. Seeing as it's more uplifting than Batman's childhood or Superman's tragic beginnings, Wonder Woman 1984 utilizes Themyscira for more hopeful and touching storylines.
Source: Gal Gadot
