Zeus Wonder Woman DC

Wonder Woman is the best movie to come out of the DCEU for many reasons, but foremost among them is the main character herself. As played by Gal Gadot, Diana is both strong and loving, fierce and courageous, inspirational and human. The cinematic Diana is a brilliant recreation of the most iconic female superhero in female history, and it's going to be thrilling to see her story continue. Luckily, we won't have to wait long. Justice League is coming later this year, and the rumors are already murmuring about what we can expect to happen in Wonder Woman 2.

With the sequel still some time away, however, one major question is still unanswered: what new characters will appear?

The first Wonder Woman movie had an incredibly strong supporting cast, with even supporting players like Steve Trevor being given time for some fleshing out, backstories, and character development. The same was true of the film's villains. However, since Wonder Woman 2 will be set in the present day, it means that all of the characters from the first film — save for the immortal ones, like Diana herself — will have died many years ago, meaning the film will likely be filled with a host of new friends, enemies, and potential love interests for Diana to dive into. For the early scoop on what characters may be coming soon to a theater near you, here are 15 Characters We Need to See In Wonder Woman 2.

15. Donna Troy

DC Comic book clones Donna Troy

A character often known as "Wonder Girl," Donna Troy is most well known for her time as a member of the Teen Titans. But she's also one of the most popular Wonder Woman characters out there, so there's a decent chance that she could enter the fray in Wonder Woman 2 — if she doesn't premiere in the upcoming live action Teen Titans series first, that is.

Donna Troy's origins have changed a lot over the years, through DC's many reboots. Early versions of her story depicted her as an orphan rescued from a fire by Wonder Woman, who is then brought to Themyscira and placed amongst the Amazons for her care. Recent stories have revealed that Donna was actually formed from clay for the purpose of being a living weapon who could kill Diana, and that the fire/orphan story was just a ruse. This twist makes her a sort of reverse-Wonder Woman, since Diana is now depicted as having believed she was made of clay until Ares reveals the truth about her parentage years later. The flipped parallels between both characters could be interesting to watch on the big screen.

14. Trevor Barnes

Diana and Trevor Barnes on the snow in DC Comics

Steve Trevor is certainly Wonder Woman's most famous love interest, and the version of the character depicted by Chris Pine is extremely earnest, likable, and popular with fans. But the events of the first movie — not to mention its WWI setting — mean that Steve is out of the picture for future installments, so Diana's going to need a new romance for Wonder Woman 2.

One of the most likely candidates is Trevor Barnes, who dated Diana in the comics. Trevor Barnes is a human rights advocate who works for the United Nations, so he and Diana bond over their humanitarian work; though Barnes doesn't tend to go battling Greek gods, he's often called upon to assist with poverty issues in developing countries. Since Steve Trevor has turned out to be a fan-favorite hero, Diana's next love interest will need to be a completely different sort of character, and Barnes would fit the bill.

13. Cheetah

Wonder Woman VS Cheetah

When it comes to villains, it's going to be hard to compete with Ares, who has long been considered Diana's greatest enemy. While it's difficult to say who the main villain in Wonder Woman 2 will be, there's a very strong chance that Cheetah will show up.

The most popular version of Cheetah is Barbara Ann Minerva, a British archaeologist and friend of Diana, whose hunt for relics eventually gets her mixed up in tribal rituals that transform her into a human avatar for the Goddess of the Hunt. As Cheetah, Minerva possesses superhuman speed and strength that makes her more than a match for Wonder Woman.

Though Cheetah is a likely bet for Wonder Woman 2, we're betting that she plays a role comparable to that of Dr. Poison in the first film, with a bigger villain pulling the strings. Perhaps even a villain such as the following entry...

12. Circe

Circe wearing a bathing suit and cape while casting a spell

Cheetah is one thing, but if Wonder Woman 2 is going to live up to the epic scale of the first movie, there needs to be a villain on the same level as Ares. The obvious choice is Circe, the powerful sorceress known for remolding minds, transforming matter, and — whenever she feels like it —  changing men into animals.

The character of Circe, of course, comes from Greek mythology, so she'd be an easy fit within the established movie universe. Circe is every bit as fearsome as Ares, and she comes from the same mythological roots, but the dynamic between she and Diana is totally different in nature, as both are women. The interplay between the immortal sorceress and the comparatively young Amazon/demigoddess would be exciting to watch, and continue the important feminist overtones so integral to the legacy of the first film.

11. Batman

Wonder Woman Gal Gadot Batman Ben Affleck Snyder Justice League

Wonder Woman certainly doesn't need another superhero to pop into her movie, since she's now cemented her place as the new star of DC's cinematic universe. But if there's one thing that Marvel has proven in such films as Captain America: Civil War and this year's Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's that crossovers can be fun -- if they suit the storyline.

Diana and Bruce have already established a strong working relationship. They first partnered up in Batman V Superman, Bruce sorta appears in Wonder Woman, and the trailers for Justice League suggest that they'll be the main ones putting together the team. Given all that evidence, Batman is probably the most likely superhero who could pop up in a Wonder Woman film, though perhaps in merely a minor role.

Or maybe not, since Patty Jenkins has expressed a preference for more standalone films that aren't as reliant on cinematic universes. With this in mind, maybe instead of Batman appearing in a Wonder Woman film, Diana will pop up in The Batman?

10. First Born

First Born DC Wonder Woman

Outside of Circe and Cheetah, another Wonder Woman villain who could be primed for a big screen debut is the First Born, the crazed, ferocious, and cannibalistic first son of Zeus.

First Born is the darkest secret of the Gods on Olympus, the child who Zeus wiped from the history books. Zeus did this because of a prophecy which stated that one day, First Born would take over his father's role as king of the Gods after murdering the rest of the Greek pantheon; though Zeus tried to kill First Born when he was still an infant, the baby survived and was raised amongst hyenas, before spending thousands of years clawing his way back into the world.

Though a relatively recent character, First Born has already proven to be one of Diana's most dangerous threats. However, in a sequel, his storyline might be too reminiscent of Ares, who in the film is depicted as a son of Zeus who has already murdered all of the other gods.

9. Thomas Tresser

Tom Tresser Nemesis Wonder Woman

Another possible love interest for the follow-up is Thomas Tresser, also known as Nemesis, a stealth operative and master of disguise who works for the US Government's Department of Metahuman Affairs. Tom has worked as an occasional non-felon member of the Suicide Squad, as well as the Shadow Fighters, and has also worked with Batman on occasion.

Tresser and Diana work together for the department for a spell, and he soon starts to fall in love with her. After he is injured in battle, Diana begins courting him, even inducting him as an honorary male Amazon. However, Diana eventually reveals that she's not in love with Thomas and is merely interested in him for physical reasons (read: breeding), at which point the heartbroken Tresser decides to break off their relationship.

8. Medusa

Medusa Stabs Wonder Woman

Everyone knows Medusa, the scary lady with the snakes for hair, and that alone would make her an exciting addition to the Wonder Woman movies.

Like many of Wonder Woman's friends and enemies, Medusa is also a character from Greek mythology, though certainly one of the most popular ones. To Diana, she is usually portrayed as an antagonist, her hair having been transformed into snakes by the goddess Athena as punishment for having stolen the attractions of Poseidon.

Medusa's power to change anyone who looks at her eyes into stone makes her a formidable threat. In the past, Diana has only been able to defeat her by literally blinding herself with the venom of Medusa's snakes, thus rendering her immune to the Gorgon's curse.

7. Paula Von Gunther

Baroness Paula Von Gunther riding a horse in DC comics.

Way back in the 1940s when Wonder Woman was first created, the baroness Paula Von Gunther was the Amazon warrior's first recurring foe. However, Von Gunther has often been portrayed as a conflicted character, sometimes even an ally to Diana.

Von Gunther was originally a German Nazi baroness in the 1940s, though her alliance to the Gestapo was later revealed to be due to the Nazis having kidnapped her daughter, Gerta, as leverage for her services. After risking her life to save Diana, Von Gunther was later permitted to take up residence with the Amazons. However, recent appearances have depicted her once again as a villain. She is now a mistress of the occult with dark supernatural leanings, who becomes the human host of a seemingly demonic spirit called the Dark Angel.

If Wonder Woman 2 was going to take place in World War II, as was previously rumored, then this Nazi villain might be a sure bet. As it is now, the character would probably go through some retooling, but it's not out of the question.

6. Zola

Zola pregnant Wonder Woman DC

If there's one thing that any student of Greek mythology knows, it's that Zeus has a really bad tendency of sleeping around and getting people pregnant. Zeus's many, many affairs and illegitimate children are no minor part of the character. If anything, Zeus's tendency to screw around with mortals is a rather key example of why Zeus isn't necessarily the most benevolent deity, and definitely not the most chaste.

Zola is a modern interpretation of this archetypal myth. She's a regular young woman from Virgina, probably in her 20s, who takes care of her own barn. After a one night stand with a stranger, Zola winds up accidentally getting pregnant with another child of Zeus. This gets her in a whole bunch of trouble, necessitating Wonder Woman's protection.

Zola is a regular person, who would rather spend her time listening to music or taking care of her horses rather than getting tangled up with the whole Greek pantheon. In a film, Zola could easily be a great audience surrogate, in order to ground all the mythological events back down into the real world, and show how these incidents could impact everyday people.

5. Superman

Wonder Woman and Superman Apples

Why not? If there's any other superhero who could easily pop into a Wonder Woman story — well, besides Batman — it's the Man of Steel himself. Sure, he's currently dead in the DCEU, but we all know that's going to change when Justice League hits theaters. Besides that, Diana and Clark actually have a long history in the comics, where they have sometimes been depicted as lovers.

It's hard to imagine Henry Cavill's Superman ever getting romantically entangled with anyone other than Lois Lane, since the two have been so connected from the start. But there's definitely a lot of room for connection, whether romantic or platonic, between the cinematic Clark and Diana, both of whom have both experienced the harshness of a humanity that they always will feel separate from. So far, the films haven't had a chance to delve into this relationship, but we hope to see it sooner or later.

4. Hermes

Hermes DC New 52 Wonder Woman bird feet

Here's another Greek god that Wonder Woman has close connections with: Hermes, famous for having those little wings on his feet that allow him to run at super-speed. In DC Comics, this classic image is taken a step further, with Hermes being depicted as having full-on bird feet, complete with claws, and he's shown his ability to put these feet to deadly use. He also has pale skin, a quick wit, and various other powers.

Recent comics have shown Hermes as a loyal companion to Wonder Woman, aiding her in her quest to protect Zola. Though Hippolyta claims in the first movie that all of the gods have been killed by Ares, let's hope that this guy somehow made it out of the Olympus massacre alive, because he'd make for a cool new addition to a Wonder Woman sequel.

3. Veronica Cale

Wonder Woman Veronica Cale

Though Wonder Woman usually takes on evil gods, sorceresses, and alien warlords, she also has her own Lex Luthor: Veronica Cale, a pharmaceutical CEO who resents the Amazon princess for what Cale sees as a simplistic philosophy that cannot be reconciled with the harshness of society. Cale has struggled against the patriarchy of man's world for her entire life, only rising up through the ranks by sheer force of will, and she can't stand the mainstream acceptance that Wonder Woman has gained seemingly so easily.

In her confrontations with Diana, Cale has only grown more and more sinister over time, funding the creation of supervillains, unleashing alien menaces, and trying to ruin Wonder Woman's reputation. In the movies, it's easy to see how Cale could become a recurring thorn in Diana's side.

2. Strife

Eris Strife Wonder Woman villain DC

The goddess of chaos and discord is a woman known as Eris, or "Strife," a hard-drinking rebel who loves to get crowds all riled up and murderous. Strife is like the teenage rebel amongst Wonder Woman's cast of characters. This means that she tends to hang around Ares a lot, since warfare and chaos often go hand in hand. Since she's also a child of Zeus, she and Diana are technically sisters, though they don't have the warmest relationship.

Strife has a lot of abilities, though her primary skill is making groups of people become erratic and violent when she's in their presence. She also enjoys growing her body to an immense size, which makes her a highly formidable opponent when and if she and Diana find themselves on opposite sides of an argument, and that's always fun, right?

1. Zeus

Wonder Woman Zeus DC

Well yeah, he's her dad, so...

Considering that he never actually appears on screen, the king of the gods on Mount Olympus plays a pretty huge role in the storyline of the first Wonder Woman movie. This impact is increased when Ares reveals to Diana that her "molded from clay" origin is a deception, and that she's actually the demigoddess daughter of Zeus.

Now that Zeus has become a central figure in Diana's origins, it only makes sense to bring the character onboard in a sequel — particularly if Hippolyta's story about Zeus "creating man" is true, because it means that Zeus is basically the God archetype of the DCEU, which certainly injects Diana's story with some additional messianic elements. If Zeus does appear in Wonder Woman 2, it'll be interesting to see how this father/daughter reunion plays out... or whether they end up fighting on the same side, or if Diana will be forced to rebel against the father she never knew.

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Any other great Wonder Woman characters that we missed? Let us know in the comments.