Warning: SPOILERS for Wonder Woman 1984.
Wonder Woman 1984 saw the superhero action venture all the way to The White House and even featured a characterization of former President Ronald Reagan — here's who played him and where you may know the actor from. The DC Comics sequel marked Gal Gadot's fourth outing as the titular Amazonian warrior, the first since the ill-received Justice League hit theaters in 2017. Patty Jenkins returned to the director's chair and co-wrote the script with Geoff Johns and David Callaham. In an unprecedented move, the film was released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming via HBO Max. Though it has largely under-performed at international box offices, initial reviews for Wonder Woman 1984 have been mostly positive.
Exploring an uncharted era of the DCEU, the sequel followed Diana Prince as she led a largely unassuming life in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, fate propelled her into a globe-trotting adventure when a relic known as the Dreamstone put her at odds with the megalomaniacal Max Lord (Pedro Pascal). Taking the wish-granting power of the crystal as his own, he embarked on a crusade to accumulate unparalleled wealth and power. Always seeking more, that quest ultimately took him to the Oval Office. There, he was given an audience with none other than Ronald Reagan — from whom Lord claimed executive privileges in exchange for the United States receiving more nuclear weapons.
The real-world role was played by actor Stuart Milligan. Though born in Boston, Massachusetts, Milligan has been most active in the United Kingdom. As well as several prominent roles on the West End stage, he is likely most recognized for the popular British murder-mystery series Jonathan Creek. Starring alongside Alan Davies, Milligan played the recurring role of Jonathan's magician boss, Adam Klaus. Though the part was initially portrayed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head in the pilot, Milligan took over for the rest of the show's run. Stateside, the actor has appeared in such films as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and alongside Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game.
This wasn't Milligan's first presidential forway, however. In 2011, he appeared opposite Matt Smith's version of The Doctor for a two-part Doctor Who adventure. First appearing in Doctor Who season 6, episode 1, "The Impossible Astronaut," Milligan played the equally real-world role of Richard Nixon. He returned for the concluding episode, "Day of The Moon," which saw The Doctor and his companions briefly defeat a new race of villainous creatures called The Silence. Milligan's role in Wonder Woman 1984 is officially credited as POTUS. Regardless, there's no denying that it is indeed Ronald Reagan. The former actor served as President from 1981 until 1989, putting the film's period directly within his era. Equally, the film mentioned and directly utilized the 'Star Wars Program' — an iconic element of Reagan's tenure
The choice continued a trend established in 2017's Wonder Woman of blending real-life elements into the otherwise fictional adventures. The first installment referenced several events in and around World War I, though it wasn't without some anachronisms. It also incorporated such figures as Erich Ludendorff into the action, who was a famous German general, politician, and military theorist of that time. It shall have to remain to be seen whether such inclusions will carry over into Wonder Woman 3, with a future sequel not yet confirmed. However, with Gadot's request that the next outing not be set in the past, anybody that could emerge would be much more contemporary. Whatever the case, Reagan's brief role made for an amusing little detail that grounded Wonder Woman 1984 in a world much closer to our own — deepening the sense of hopefulness for humanity at the film's core.
