New filming details for Wonder Woman 2 reveal the DC sequel is headed to the coast of West Africa, teasing the comic book origins of the villain Cheetah might play into the movie. While most comic book films have a three-year window minimum between sequels, Warner Bros. and DC were wise to move Wonder Woman 2 into production quickly. The first film was the DCEU’s most financially and critically successful film to date, and it’s likely the sequel will perform even better at the box office - making it no surprise Patty Jenkins tripled her Wonder Woman payday for the new movie.
Story details are still scarce with the film over a year away, but early information has begun to slowly emerge. The biggest news so far has been Kristen Wiig coming aboard as the long-standing Wonder Woman villain Cheetah, with fans curious just how the unusual looking character will be brought to life. Pedro Pascal has joined Wonder Woman 2 as well, though his role is still unknown. But it’s likely the bulk of the plot will focus on Diana and Cheetah, and the movie will be traveling the world to do so.
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Omega Underground is reporting that Wonder Woman 2 is set to film on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. Located off the coast of West Africa, it's a prime spot to shoot more Themyscira scenes, but it may also double as the place where Dr. Barbara Minerva is transformed into the Cheetah.
Debuting in 1987’s Wonder Woman #7, Dr. Minerva’s story sees the wealthy explorer on the hunt for an artifact in Africa that leads her to the reclusive Urzkartagan tribe. Events quickly spiral out of control, however, when the village is attacked and only she, a fellow doctor, and the tribe’s high priest Chuma remain. When Dr. Minerva learns of a ritual to transform Chuma into the cheetah god Urzkartaga, she demands to take her place and kills her comrade to complete the sacrifice.
Wonder Woman 2 will likely provide better reasoning for Dr. Minerva’s willingness to murder someone in cold blood and transform into a were-cheetah, but the location of Tenerife could very well hint that a remote tribe and their mysterious ritual will play into Cheetah’s origin. The MCU has shied away from flat-out magic, claiming into to be complex science instead. The DCEU, however, has leaned into the mystical backstories of characters like Wonder Woman, so Cheetah’s more fantastical nature would certainly fit right in.
Beyond a few global locations we’ve learned about, we know Wonder Woman 2 will be set in the ‘80s. Though we’ve seen Diana during World War I and in the modern day, it will be interesting to see the DCEU’s take on the 1980s and learn what point Wonder Woman is on her journey after the big time jump from her first film. With filming set to start before the year’s out, expect plenty more details to emerge regarding Wonder Woman 2 soon.
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Source: Omega Underground
