The latest hot casting rumor for Wonder Woman 2 is that Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was (and may still be) in consideration for one of the two key main roles. Narcos star Pedro Pascal was recently cast in the role of a "slippery con man" for the sequel, which is set to begin filming this summer, and earlier this month director Patty Jenkins confirmed that Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) will be playing the movie's villain, Cheetah.
Wonder Woman was a major success for Warner Bros. last year, scoring the highest domestic gross of the DC Extended Universe so far, and receiving widespread praise from critics and fans. Gal Gadot will of course return in the lead role for Wonder Woman 2, and last summer we learned that the movie will be set in the 1980s, in the final days of the Cold War.
Related: Wonder Woman 2 Casts Narcos’ Pedro Pascal in Key Role
The rumor of Ahmed's potential role in the movie comes from a casual remark in a recent episode of the Meet the Movie Press podcast, during which The Tracking Board EiC Jeff Sneider name-dropped Ahmed as one of the actors being eyed for a key supporting role in Wonder Woman 2:
"From what I understood there were two decently-sized male roles for Wonder Woman 2, and one was a slippery con-man type, and the other was an imposing businessman. And really I suppose [Pascal] could play either. I'd heard that they were looking at Riz Ahmed for that role, but I never knew how that was going to happen with the Venom stuff, since he's got a major role in Venom."
It isn't entirely clear from this which role Ahmed was being considered for, though it sounds like Warner Bros. was interested in casting him as the "imposing businessman." Ahmed does indeed have a key role alongside Tom Hardy in Venom, as the teaser trailer all but confirmed that he's playing Dr. Carlton Drake, leader of the sinister Life Foundation. Although Venom has wrapped principal photography, Ahmed being cast in Wonder Woman 2 might clash with additional photography.
So, for now we wouldn't bet too much on Ahmed officially joining the cast of Wonder Woman 2, but he would certainly be a great addition. Ahmed has been a rising star in recent years, with roles in HBO's critically-acclaimed drama The Night Of, Disney's spinoff/prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Dan Gilroy's twisted thriller Nightcrawler. If he does end up missing out on a role in Wonder Woman 2 due to being too in-demand - well, there are worse problems to have.
More: Wonder Woman 2 Theory: Is Pedro Pascal The Male Cheetah?
Source: Meet the Movie Press (via ComicBook)
