Breaking down the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer: Cheetah, Steve Trevor, and mall madness

By Devan Coggan
December 09, 2019 at 12:32 PM EST

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Return of the Prince

Credit: Warner Bros.

Everyone's favorite lasso-wielding Amazonian is back. Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 on Sunday, giving us our first look at Patty Jenkins' superhero sequel before it hits theaters June 5, 2020. Gal Gadot once again stars as Wonder Woman herself, and the film follows Diana as she faces down new foes in — you guessed it — 1984.

Here, we break down some of the biggest reveals and key moments from the first trailer.

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Lost love

Credit: Warner Bros.

Decades have passed since Diana’s days fighting in World War I. The trailer makes it clear that she hasn’t abandoned her heroic antics, but she still can’t get her head out of the past. Specifically, she’s still hung up on the first man she ever met: Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor, who sacrificed himself to help save the world at the end of the first film. Her apartment is filled with mementos of her time with Steve, from a news clipping about his military service to a photo of her visiting the Trevor ranch.

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Cheetah girl

Credit: Warner Bros.

By 1984, most of Diana’s old friends are gone, and Gadot has said that when the film starts, our heroine is feeling “quite lonely.” (Hopefully Etta Candy lived to a ripe old age, surrounded by many friends and grandchildren?!) Diana does find some camaraderie, however, in archaeologist Barbara Minerva, played by Kristen Wiig. The two are clearly close, and when we first meet Barbara, she seems like a supportive, slightly geeky friend. But comic readers know that Barbara is destined to become one of Wonder Woman’s greatest foes: the bloodthirsty half-cat, half-human hybrid Cheetah.

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Mall madness

Credit: Warner Bros.

The nostalgia runs deep throughout the entire trailer, from the neon font choices to the use of New Order’s “Blue Monday.” But perhaps the most ‘80s moment of all is the big action scene set inside a shopping mall. (After all, malls are so totally ‘80s that notorious nostalgia peddler Stranger Things centered its most recent season around a mall.)

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Lord of the castle

Credit: Warner Bros.

Wiig’s Cheetah isn’t the only villain Diana will be facing off against. The trailer also introduces Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord. (Looking good under that helmet, Mando!) Jenkins has described Lord as a ruthless businessman and “the king of infomercials.” The question is: What exactly is he selling?

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Remembering old times

Credit: Warner Bros.

One of Diana’s most important mementos is Steve’s watch, given to her before his death. She’s kept it safe for all these years. Intriguingly, there’s a shot here where the watch seems to move on its own…

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Diana and Steve, reunited

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And here’s the watch’s owner, seemingly back from the dead! Steve Trevor is home, and he hasn’t aged a day in decades. (Steve, please drop your skincare regimen.) The trailer doesn’t explain how our beloved pilot has returned from beyond the grave, but we hear Maxwell Lord talking about fulfilling dreams and how you can finally “have everything you always wanted.” Does Lord somehow have the ability to make dreams come true? And could Diana have wished Steve’s return into existence?

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Watch the clock

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As if to prove that yes, he is the real Steve Trevor, we see him give Diana his watch. This one is a definite tech upgrade from the 1910s, but the sentiment still stands.

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Crystal clear

Credit: Warner Bros.

The exact specifics of Lord’s plan are unclear, but whatever it is, it involves this sinister-looking crystal. (Bad guy + creepy crystal = recipe for bad news.) The ‘80s were filled with talk about selling the American dream — dreams of power, dreams of wealth, dreams of excess. Lord seems to have capitalized on that conversation, positioning himself as a snake oil salesman who can sell you those fantasies. But is it just snake oil, or is it something real?

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Ms. Prince goes to Washington

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Most of the original Wonder Woman took place in on the island of Themyscira and in Europe during World War I. Wonder Woman 1984 cements its story in America, specifically in the political hub of Washington D.C.

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Trouble in the White House

Credit: Warner Bros.

This action scene also seems to be set in D.C. — specifically, D.C.’s most famous address. Those white hallways sure look a lot like the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and those gun-wielding guys that Diana takes out so easily are wearing official badges. Secret Service, perhaps? And if we’re in the White House, does that mean we might get an appearance from then-President Ronald Reagan?

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The Cheetah emerges

Credit: Warner Bros.

The first shots of Wiig’s Barbara depict her as a mousy, slightly shy girl. This shot, on the other hand, is all power, strutting into a fancy cocktail party and turning heads. Is the transformation into Cheetah already underway?

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Sparks fly

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Steve may have last flown in the 1910s, but a plane is a plane. Here, we see him and Diana in the cockpit of a new machine, soaring through a sky of fireworks. (Cue Aladdin’s “A Whole New World.”) This might just be a regular old plain plane — or it could be the first appearance of Wonder Woman’s famous Invisible Jet, one of her most iconic tools from the comics.

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Return to Themyscira?

Credit: Warner Bros.

The trailer also includes a few shots of Themyscira, the all-female island paradise Diana hails from. Lilly Aspell played the young Diana in the original Wonder Woman, and here we see her in flashback once more, sprinting with her Amazonian sisters.

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Themysciran Ninja Warrior

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Another flashback scene? This mysterious setup seems like some sort of Themysciran obstacle course. It doesn’t look easy, even considering the Amazon warriors’ super strength.

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Lightning-fast reflexes

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One of the trailer’s most exhilarating shots is this scene of Diana swooping through the air, using her golden lasso to swing from lightning bolts. Eat your heart out, Thor.

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A golden goddess

Credit: Warner Bros.

A previous teaser poster unveiled our first look at Diana’s new golden armor, and here, we see it in its full glory. Scales! A helmet! WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!

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Art history lesson

Credit: Warner Bros.

Despite all the doom and gloom, fate-of-the-world stuff, the trailer does end with a moment of levity. Diana tries to get Steve up to speed on ‘80s culture by taking him to a modern art museum, and he tries his best, with not-so-great results. [Ed. note: Nice fanny pack, Chris.]

Watch the full trailer here.

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