Warner Bros. may have found its Cheetah for Wonder Woman 2 as the studio is reportedly in talks with Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) for the villainous role. After the soft launch of the DC Films' franchise with Man of Steel, Warner Bros. kicked off their superhero shared universe in earnest with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, after the mixed responses to both Batman V Superman and the following series entry Suicide Squad, fans - and, no doubt, the studio - were hoping for an unequivocal success. That arrived in the summer of 2017 with Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman.
Starring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince from the mythical island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman was a hit among critics and casual moviegoers alike, going on to become a massive success at the box office as well. As a result, it was unsurprising when Warner Bros. announced a Wonder Woman sequel at Comic-Con International in San Diego later that summer, giving the film a 2019 release date. Now, as pre-production on Wonder Woman 2 kicks into high gear, the studio is looking to cast a new villain to face off against Gadot's Amazonian hero.
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Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros. is in talks with comedic actress Kristen Wiig for the role of Cheetah in the Wonder Woman sequel. It was previously reported that Cheetah would be the villain of Wonder Woman 2, with additional story details indicating the film will take place in the '80s during the Cold War. Further details about the role Wiig is in talks for, beyond it being the DC Comics character Cheetah, are being kept under wraps. Per Variety's Justin Kroll, the role of Cheetah was originally offered to Emma Stone as previously reported, but when the actress passed, Jenkins "personally picked" Wiig.
Wiig made a name for herself as one of the most talented comedic actresses working in Hollywood through her tenure on NBC's Saturday Night Live, though she branched out to a great deal of critical acclaim with Bridesmaids, which she co-wrote and starred in. Wiig has appeared in more dramatic fare as well, including Girl Most Likely, The Skeleton Twins, and The Martian. However, the actress isn't quite known for many action roles, other than 2016's Ghostbusters, so playing Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2 would be a new challenge for Wiig - but one she's no doubt equipped to tackle.
As for Wonder Woman 2, both Gadot and Jenkins are returning for the sequel, with Jenkins taking on a somewhat larger role since she'll both direct and co-write the film's script with Geoff Johns. Chris Pine is also expected to return, and while fans may not be sure how it will happen considering his character died at the end of the first movie, we've had some theories about how the Steve Trevor actor could reunite with Wonder Woman. Other Wonder Woman actors Saïd Taghmaoui and Ewen Bremner are also reportedly set to appear in the sequel, though it's not yet clear how they'll be portrayed with the big time jump between the first and second movies.
With Wonder Woman 2 set for a release date in November 2019, the sequel is expected to begin filming this summer. So as we get closer to the official start of production, we'll no doubt learn more about the sequel. As such, we'll provide updates on Wonder Woman 2 as we get them, including whether or not Wiig finalizes a deal to appear as Cheetah.
Next: Wonder Woman 2 Trailer, Cast, Every Update You Need To Know
Source: Deadline
