[WARNING: This article may contain spoilers for Wonder Woman.]
Wonder Woman may be mere months away from release, but some key details remain in the dark. While the overarching plot is known from the trailer and official releases, specific details are largely under wraps from the general public. Of course, the principal cast behind titular star Gal Gadot is mostly known, including Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Robin Wright as General Antiope, and Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta.
The role of the villain Ares, however, remains a mystery, despite the film being well into post-production. While actor Danny Huston appeared to be the potential nemesis for Wonder Woman in the trailer as a German officer during World War II, his official role remains unconfirmed. Now a recent Wonder Woman test screening may have finally revealed who is going to play the powerful god of war.
According to Batman News, a Saturday screening of Wonder Woman to a test audience in California revealed that David Thewlis will portray Ares.
The report says that Ares will be a “mix of CGI and practical effects,” which could explain why the villain hasn’t shown up in any promos for the film. It’s unclear whether Thewlis, who is best known as Professor Remus Lupin in five Harry Potter films, is connected in any way to Huston’s character.
Ares has been semi-confirmed as Wonder Woman’s main villain ever since a DC toy line revealed action figures that came with extra pieces to build your own version of the villain. As the Greek God of War, Ares has always made sense as the villain for this particular Wonder Woman film as a DC villain that draws power from death, destruction, and conflict. There will be plenty of that in the film’s World War I setting; the Great War is sure to drive both Ares to gain power over the world and Wonder Woman's urge to battle back, which could set up one of the most compelling DC cinematic showdowns yet.
Of course, the initial report from Batman News will remain unconfirmed until Ares is actually revealed or official information is revealed about Wonder Woman’s villain. It’s possible that Huston and Thewlis are both playing the main villain and that Huston eventually transforms into Ares at some point in the film. It remains to be seen exactly how Ares will look and how his story will unfold, but the groundwork is there for an epic battle between the hero and the war god.
Source: Batman News
