Bad sequels are far from a rarity, as there have been numerous instances where a sequel fails to recapture the original’s spirit, and Wonder Woman 1984 is no exception. Despite dropping the ball hard with the main conflict between Batman and Superman, Dawn of Justice did succeed in doing Diana Prince’s introduction to the DCEU justice.
Moreover, this was followed by arguably the best film in the DCEU, Wonder Woman, which made waves upon its release, making Gal Gadot one of the biggest names in the business. Unfortunately, the sequel failed to live up to its universally acclaimed predecessor, and its weak antagonist isn’t the lone aspect that contributed to it.
Wonder Woman 1984 Failed to Deliver on Many Fronts
A still from Wonder Woman 1984 | Warner Bros.
Throughout its run, the DCEU had a major villain problem, whether it be Steppenwolf in the theatrical version of Justice League or Enchantress in Suicide Squad. However, 2017’s Wonder Woman was an exception to the rule, as even though the film’s third act is a brief letdown compared to the first two acts, Ares was more than serviceable as a villain.
While Wonder Woman 1984 also starts out on a promising note with Kristen Wiig’s Barbara, her descent into Cheetah was half-baked, as fans stressed her character arc felt rushed. However, this was far from the only issue that plagued the sequel, as another major criticism against the film involved the return of Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. Considering how impactful his death was in the first film, bringing him back to reverse the fish out of water dynamic from the first film didn’t work for many.
Chris Pine and Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 | Warner Bros.
But this isn’t the most problematic aspect of his return, as instead of bringing him back directly, the film sees Steve inhabiting the body of another man. What makes it worse is the film never addresses this issue even when Diana and Steve make love, which many viewers rightfully called out, as it was without the other man’s consent. The ’80s setting also didn’t feel as deeply ingrained in the story as the WWI setting felt in the original, and the resolution to Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord felt out of place.
The cgi and the bringing her ex back in another man’s body without consent and she sleeps with him, the cheetah storyline was handled well but the main villain was underwhelming
— Charmed Ones (@JazyProduction) May 30, 2024
It was rapey during me too, the ending was anticlimactic, the flying scene was weird.
— Jason Carpenter (@Parzival418) May 30, 2024
Pretty much everything. The entire premise of the movie was dumb. Cheetah was wasted, the resolution with Maxwell Lord was dumb. The Steve Trevor body possession thing was problematic. Action was very underwhelming. Everything that worked about the OG was absent.
— Prodi Lemaj (@ProdiLemaj) May 30, 2024
The final battle between WW and Cheetah was a disappointment, they should have resurrected Steve a different way because the idea of his soul being transferred to another person body didn’t make sense, and the VFX wasn’t as good as the first film.
— TM (@CurseKing_123) May 30, 2024
When writers can't write a plot with actual stakes in fights, then I have no reason to watch. Like she literally could do everything, and had almost no flaws.
— Joey (@joeysteincomedy) May 30, 2024
Compared to other failed sequels, the failure of WW 1984 stings more, as with the threequel seemingly canceled, this might remain Gal Gadot‘s last Wonder Woman feature.
Zack Snyder Explained What Made Gal Gadot Stand Out During WW’s Audition
Speaking of casting Gadot as the Amazonian warrior, Zack Snyder explained that the Fast Five star ticked all the boxes to play the character. Being one of the six finalists to make it to the screen test, Snyder explained that her screen test with Ben Affleck stood out the most, as, despite Affleck’s commanding presence, she was able to hold her own.
Wonder Woman (2017) | Warner Bros.
He told FilmInk:
She really held her own with Ben in the screen test. Ben was like, ‘Whoa, that girl is something else!’ That was a good sign, because Ben is very tough in the scene, and he’s big and commanding. Anytime that you’re doing a test like that and you’re looking at the other person, you’re thinking, ‘Okay, that’s good stuff.’
Sadly, WW 1984 was the last Wonder Woman entry, as Gadot’s Diana was limited to cameos in other DCEU entries after its failure. But the Fast X star can’t be blamed for it, as despite the issues with the script, she did her best to deliver an impeccable performance as Diana Prince.
Wonder Woman 1984 is available to stream on Max.
