Wonder Woman 1984 Director Denies Donald Trump Being Influence for Villain

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated: June 27, 2020

Wonder Woman 1984 is about to get the DCEU rolling once again when the film premieres this October . Though the film was originally slated to premiere in June of this year, it experienced delays due to the pandemic. Unlike other DCEU films on the horizon, there have been many hints about the outlook of the heroine's second solo adventure due to the film's trailer and a slew of teases from the cast and director Patty Jenkins.

From choosing the film's time period to diving into the future of the franchise , Jenkins has been vocal about the Wonder Woman franchise as a whole. Now, new comments from the film's director have surfaced online, revealing important aspects of Wonder Woman 1984 .

NEWS

In a bunch of tweets, Luiz Fernando managed to break down some of Jenkin's comments about Wonder Woman 1984 from Total Film. First, Jenkins mentioned that she "doesn't regret" moving the film to 2020 since she was able to use the additional time to polish it through post-production. The director cited that the gap was a "massive difference" which left her satisfied for the finished product.

#PattyJenkins told #TotalFilm she doesn’t regret moving #WonderWoman1984 to 2020. She used DEC & JAN for additional post production & is happier with the #WW84 she has now as the right amount of time to finish a film makes massive difference. No shade intended, #JusticeLeague... pic.twitter.com/hAESkvwj2H

In another tweet, Jenkins and actor Pedro Pascal "denied" that U.S. President Donald Trump was not the inspiration for the sequel's villain, Maxwell Lord. The director clarified that Lord was inspired by Gene Hackman's portrayal of Lex Luthor in 1978's Superman as well as Wall Street 's Gordon Gekko, describing him as "a villain with potential to be dangerous & scary."

#PattyJenkins and #PedroPascal denied that #Trump is the inspiration for #MaxwellLord. She says #WW84’s #MaxLord was inspired in 1978 #Superman #GeneHackman’s #LexLuthor & #WallStreet‘s #GordonGekko as a villain with potential to be dangerous & scary, not someone who IS scary. pic.twitter.com/sF0iJBOeAa

Another tweet from Fernando further described the sequel's villains, where Jenkins revealed that she wanted them as "gripping and entertaining" as the heroes. Jenkins also shared that Kristen Wiig ( Wonder Woman 1984 's Cheetah) and Pascal "helped set the tone" of the sequel.

According to #PattyJenkins, she wanted villains as gripping and entertaining as the heroes, as she believes it’s all about comicbook superhero villains, that need to be delightfully entertaining and interesting. Casting #KristenWiig & #PedroPascal helped set #WW84’s unique tone. pic.twitter.com/CTbkQozaeA

Lastly, Jenkins also bared that she loved the dynamic between Barbara Minerva (Wiig's character) and Diana Prince, with her describing that the two women start as "truly good friends" before the duo's organic transition to foes.

#PattyJenkins also adds she loved the fact that #BarbaraMinerva (geology, gemmology, lithology and part time Cryptozoologyst) and #DianaPrince (archeology and anthropology) start #WW84 as truly good friends at The #SmithSonianMuseum, and the transition to foes occurs organically. pic.twitter.com/xTmZEG4jOO

WHAT THIS MEANS

Despite the struggle within the entertainment industry amid the pandemic, it seems that the delays have proven beneficial to films that are either already finished or in post-production. Jenkins' comments about the sequel's delays show that the film has seen improvement over time. That said, it offers good news to fans who are eager to witness the heroine's next adventure.

In the eyes of DC fans, Maxwell Lord has been an intriguing villain over the years. While Lord has been a self-serving villain throughout his time, there have been circumstances when the character has served a good cause. Going into Wonder Woman 1984 , Lord's alliance comes into question, but it is likely that the character is intended to be the main villain pulling the strings. Jenkin's comparison of the villain to Hackman's iconic Lex Luthor from 1978's Superman should serve as good news to fans, while her denial about the similarities to President Trump could be beneficial to stray away from controversies.

Wonder Woman's rogue gallery is one of the bests that DC has to offer, with Kristen Wiig's Cheetah serving as an interesting foe for the Amazonian princess. Based on Jenkin's remark about the dynamic between the two friends-turned-foe , it seems that fans should be in for a roller coaster ride of emotions upon watching the second installment.

In many ways, the film's villains offer a unique approach to Diana that would further her arc in the DCEU.