https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW2E2Fnh52w
“Barbara, what did you do?”
What Barbara Ann Minerva has done is somehow steal the spotlight in the second official trailer for Wonder Woman 1984, released today at the opening panel of the online DC Fandome event. Even with the epic trailer showcasing new scenes of Wonder Woman herself, all eyes are on one thing: Barbara Ann Minerva, and her grisly transformation into the apex predator she’s always dreamed of becoming – the animalistic supervillain Cheetah.
How could she not be the main focus of this trailer? For months, we’ve been waiting eagerly to catch any official glimpse of her look, and relished all the merchandise leaks that have given us hints: but nothing beats the real deal. And even though her scenes in this trailer are darkly-lit (making me question whether her design is still being worked on behind-the-scenes?), there’s enough here to make it obvious that she will be a formidable villain to Wonder Woman, armed with fearsome claws, super-strength, incredible stamina and agility, and a feral bloodlust for power. In fact, as much as we all love Wonder Woman and want to see her take the lead, it’s hard not to watch this trailer and wonder whether Barbara Ann Minerva’s tragic story will form the emotional core of this hotly-anticipated upcoming DC movie.
Wonder Woman 1984 will tackle many issues, some of which are alarmingly relevant today: the main conflict comes from Maxwell Lord, a charismatic con-man (intentionally modeled off a younger Donald Trump) selling lies, empty promises and cursed gifts to the gullible, with both Wonder Woman and Barbara Ann Minerva being ensnared by his spell. But whereas Wonder Woman presumably gets a reunion with Steve Trevor, the former love of her life, as part of her bargain with Lord, Barbara Ann Minerva gets superpowers which put her on equal footing with her arch-nemesis but have the side-effect of turning her into a horrific animal/human hybrid. When I say “horrific”, I mean that in a good way…not in, like, a Cats way. It’s difficult to say when she’ll obtain her powers, however, because most of her action scenes (such as her fight with Wonder Woman in the hallways of the White House) have her wearing an extremely fashionable cheetah-print jacket and high-heeled boots, complemented by a messy mane of blond curls. That and her black evening attire when she strolls into high-society for the first time are still her best looks, based on what we’ve seen so far.
But while it’s Cheetah that has captured my attention, there are other standout moments in this trailer: we once again see Wonder Woman lassoing lightning and swinging through the clouds, but she has tranquil, emotional beats with Steve Trevor as well (walking past the Washington Monument in what is sure to be a lovely romantic scene), and the duo are just as humorous as ever – Steve Trevor, a man out of time, is clearly having a hard time adjusting to 80’s fashion norms, though if anyone can rock a fanny-pack and parachute pants, it’s him. There’s more footage from the gravity-defying Amazon Olympics on Themiscyra, a sequence which I’m sure must have some significance to Wonder Woman’s arc, but for now just looks really cool.
The trailer is lacking just one thing, and that’s a catchy, era-appropriate song choice. It’s not too major a problem, but it does feel like a downgrade after the first trailer‘s brilliant use of an electronic instrumental rendition of “Blue Monday” by New Order.
So how are we feeling, DC fans? Share your own thoughts, theories and opinions in the comments below!
Trailer Rating: 8/10