Patty Jenkins Confirms Kristen Wiig Is ‘Wonder Woman 2’s Cheetah
The recent reports were apparently true: Wonder Woman’s newest opponent is Gilly.
Okay, technically not Gilly. (I wish it was Gilly. I miss Gilly.) No, Gal Gadot will be squaring off with the woman who played Gilly on Saturday Night Live, Kristen Wiig. The news was confirmed on Twitter by Wonder Woman 2 director (and Wonder Woman 1 director) Patty Jenkins, who called Wiig “sensationally talented” and one of her “favorites”:
It is definitely a bold casting choice. Granted, DC Comics movies have cast comedians in key villain roles before; don’t forget Jim Carrey as the Riddler in Batman Forever. Of course some folks would like to forget Jim Carrey as the Riddler. I imagine Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah will be a little bit less manic than Carrey’s Edward Nigma. (We’ll have to wait and see what version of the character Wiig plays. At times she’s been a woman in cat suit; at others, she’s been portrayed as more of a half-woman, half-cat hybrid creature.)
Wiig has done more serious roles in the past, but thus far, her post-SNL career hasn’t really gotten close to the superhero or action genres. But if Wonder Woman taught us anything, it was never to underestimate Patty Jenkins. The woman knows what she is doing, and she has a clear vision for the Wonder Woman franchise. Somehow, Kristen Wiig fits into that vision. It will fascinating to see how. Wonder Woman 2 is scheduled to open in theaters on November 1, 2019.