Could Steve Trevor survive Wonder Woman 1984 and still be alive in the present timeline of the DCEU? Gal Gadot's Diana Prince was introduced in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and effortlessly stole the show from the film's titular superhero duo. Immediately, a connection was established between Diana and Steve Trevor, played by Chris Pine, but the full extent of their relationship wasn't disclosed until 2017's critically-acclaimed Wonder Woman movie.

An ace U.S. pilot in World War I, Steve accidentally landed on Themyscria and was largely shunned by everyone except the inquisitive and virtuous Diana, who sought to help this mysterious stranger in his mission for peace. Diana accompanied Steve to London, and together they dealt a decisive blow to Ares and his villainous allies. Tragically, the pair's blossoming romance came to a sudden halt when Steve gave his life to stop a plane packed with deadly gas, leaving Diana alone and heartbroken.

Related: Wonder Woman 1984: How Powerful Diana's Golden Eagle Armor Is

In a surprising twist, Pine is confirmed to return as Steve Trevor in the forthcoming sequel, Wonder Woman 1984. Against the bright neon lights of the 1980s, Steve and Diana are shown reunited in trailer footage, with the pilot hilariously struggling to acclimatize to the new era. Common sense would dictate that by the end of Wonder Woman 1984, Steve must return to the afterlife, but another sad ending for Diana doesn't (and perhaps shouldn't) be how Steve's story ends.

Steve Trevor's Return (& Possible Second Demise) In Wonder Woman 1984

Chris Pine as Steve Trevor wearing a fanny pack in Wonder Woman 1984

From the very beginning, Wonder Woman 1984 has been transparent about Steve Trevor's return, but the manner of his resurrection remains somewhat mysterious. Fortunately, the pair of Wonder Woman 1984 trailers released thus far build a strong idea of how Chris Pine's character comes back to life. Pedro Pascal's Maxwell Lord is one of the main villains in Wonder Woman 1984, and can be seen in the trailer holding an ominous-looking stone, promising to grant the citizens of the world exactly what they wish for. While the exact mechanics remain to be seen, Maxwell Lord appears to grant Barbara Ann Minerva the powers of Cheetah, as per her wish, and also gifts Diana her deepest desire - the return of her one true love.

It's reasonable to assume that Maxwell Lord is the cause of Steve's regeneration, and it appears that the zombie pilot makes the most of his miraculous return, reuniting with Diana and picking right up where their romance left off. Diana takes Steve on a whistle-stop tour of the 1980s, and the couple fly among a cascade of fireworks, making up for all the decades they lost after Steve's sacrifice in 1918. But, surely, this happiness can't last?

Lord's mystical magic keeping Steve Trevor alive is unlikely to be the wholesome, natural kind, and no doubt comes with a hefty cost. These side effects are potentially shown when Barbara begins looking visibly weakened in the more recent Wonder Woman 1984 trailer. If Steve's return is too good to be true, then it probably is, and when Diana defeats Maxwell Lord, she'll surely have to restore the natural order and relinquish her lover from the land of the living once again. Unless, she doesn't...

Related: Wonder Woman 1984's Cheetah CGI Should Embrace Its Weirdness

Steve Trevor Could Be Alive In The DCEU's Present

Wonder Woman 1984 Chris Pine Steve Trevor Poster

Since a world where everyone's deepest desires come true sounds more dangerous than utopian, Diana will surely ruin Maxwell Lord's grand plan by the end of Wonder Woman 1984, saving the day once again with her heroism. As DC fans would expect, Diana has given much in service to humanity and asked for nothing in return, so it's perhaps fitting that she be permitted the reward of happiness for diligently protecting the realm of men time and time again. As the daughter of Zeus, Diana (or perhaps even Hippolyta) might find a way to tether Steve's soul to the mortal world permanently, breaking the laws of nature to give the pilot a second chance at life, and rewarding the good deeds he and Diana performed for the sake of others.

The reunion would be analogous to Steve Rogers' reunion with Peggy Carter in Avengers: Endgame. Like Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, the MCU couple were sworn lovers torn apart by circumstance and duty. Both Steves sacrificed themselves in planes during wartime and were forced to leave their respective girlfriends behind, but after the defeat of Thanos, Rogers figured he was due a break and bent the rules of time travel to be with Peggy once again. While the Ancient One would no doubt look dimly upon Steve's abuse of the timeline, the story works because the audience believe Captain America deserves to be happy after saving the universe. A similar justification would work just as well for Diana and Steve in Wonder Woman 1984 - the reunion might not be natural, but the audience are willing to look the other way because of their heroism.

How Steve Trevor's Survival Works In The Wider DCEU

Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in Justice League

Assuming Steve is in his 30s during the original Wonder Woman movie, he should be revived at the exact same age in 1984. This means Steve would likely be in his late 60s during the DCEU's modern day, which would reframe (but not automatically contradict) Diana's appearances in Batman V Superman and Justice League. When Gal Gadot makes her DCEU debut, she's looking to steal the 1918 photo of her and Steve from Lex Luthor, and viewers assume this is both to protect her Amazonian identity, and to have a treasured memento of her deceased lover. Instead, Diana could be trying to keep Steve a secret rather than herself, and the tears she shed when Bruce Wayne unearthed the photo could simply be from seeing Steve in his younger years, rather than the older man he would've been then.

In Justice League, Diana encourages Bruce to move on from Clark, and Batman responds with a barbed retort about Steve Trevor, which earns him a swift, well-deserved punch. Diana's angry reaction suggests she's still sore over Steve's death, but this sensitivity could be Diana trying to protect her well-hidden secret that Steve is still alive. Steve's survival would also explain why Diana implores Bruce to move on. Although Batman's comment was ill-judged, Diana was being hypocritical in telling Bruce to move on while she was still pained over Steve's death almost a century earlier. But if Steve was revived permanently in 1984, Diana wouldn't need to get over him, making her comments about Superman less hypocritical.

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

Steve being alive in the DCEU might also clear up another Wonder Woman mystery. After her experience in 1918, Diana resolves to remain distant from humanity, and continues to do so until joining the Justice League. In Wonder Woman 1984, however, Diana appears to be far more active and open as Wonder Woman. This suggests she came out of the shadows at some point before 1984, but then went back into hiding prior to Batman V Superman. Steve Trevor's return could explain why. Perhaps by the 1980s, Wonder Woman had became a more active superhero, numbing to the depressing nature of mankind. Steve being revived permanently would give Diana a reason to go quiet again ahead of a grand return alongside Batman and Superman in the 2010s.

Wonder Woman 1984 Should End With Steve Trevor Surviving

Not only would Steve Trevor's survival fit within DCEU continuity, it would also provide Wonder Woman 1984 with a much fresher ending. The original movie wrapped-up with bidding farewell to her new boyfriend as he gave his life for the greater good - an emotional and devastating scene that underpinned Diana's entire character. If Wonder Woman 1984 ends as many fans are predicting, with Diana once again left behind by a dying Steve, the sequel would finish on a remarkably similar note. It would be impossible to avoid a sense of déjà vu if Wonder Woman 1984 ended with Steve reassuring Diana that she needed to let him go, promising that she'd be fine without him before once again leaving her alone in the world of men. Killing off the same character twice in the space of two movies can't help but feel repetitive.

Steve surviving beyond Wonder Woman 1984 would avoid those problems and subvert audience expectations, giving Diana a happy ending for once. And with Patty Jenkins all but confirming Wonder Woman 3 for a later date, Steve returning fully would offer Chris Pine a route into the third movie, in which he attempts to navigate a mid-life crisis with a never-aging demigod wife. Wonder Woman 1984 is cleverly switching Diana and Steve's roles from the first movie, but everyone knows Diana can't die here in the DCEU's 1984. Rather than flipping the characters, Wonder Woman 1984 could flip expectations instead.

More: Actors Who Almost Played DCEU's Steve Trevor

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