Flanked by dozens of Wonder Woman cosplayers, star Gal Gadot took the stage of the 2019 Comic Con Experience – São Paulo today with Patty Jenknins for a question and answer session about the new film before launching into the long-awaited first trailer to the highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman. And it’s a stunner!
Though the Wonder Woman sequel was the first major production announced to be set in 1984, it’s seemingly last to the game, following American Horror Story 1984, Stranger Things Season 2, and several other TV episodes and feature films that have drawn a direct connection to that pivotal year. Reasons vary, but it’s likely nostalgia driving the bulk of those that jumped on the ‘1984’ bandwagon. The writers, directors, and others involved with these properties likely came of age during this time, which was, quite frankly, a golden age for movies. That year saw multiple iconic films debut, including The Terminator, Ghost Busters, The Karate Kid, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Real World Political Implications
In the case of Wonder Woman, 1984 was the perfect setting. The earliest reports of the films’s plot described Diana fighting against the forces of the Soviet Union in the closing days of the Cold War. The year 1984 saw the Soviets boycott the Summer Olympics.
In August of that year, during a microphone sound check for his weekly radio address, President Ronald Reagan jokes about bombing the Soviet Union. “My fellow Americans,” Reagan says. “I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” The quip is not aired but is leaked to the press. The Soviet Union temporarily puts its defense forces on high alert.
The movie also may have current geopolitical implications. With a summer 2020 release, it will be making bank just as President Trump (who has his own Russian issues to deal with) is about to face the American electorate.
Big Boots to Fill
Wonder Woman was the DC Extended Universe’s first bona fide success, hitting a movie trifecta with great reviews, stellar box office numbers, and cultural impact. Based on the new trailer, the new sequel should create similar buzz.
And the Trailer?
Action packed with just enough hints of the cold war plot to confirm rumors, but not enough to give it away. One pivotal scene appears to show a military conflict of some sort in a desert region – likely Afghanistan.
The trailer also doesn’t reveal much about Diana’s classic enemy – Cheetah. I’m sure we’ll see that in the next one.
The totally 80s vibe isn’t just confined to geo-political events of the day. The music, the settings, the clothing all take me back to middle school. If there isn’t a scene where Wonder Woman is kicking as to Cindi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I’ll be a little disappointed.
Wonder Woman opens June 5, 2020.
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