Unresolved WW84 Plot Can Bring Back Cheetah In Wonder Woman 3
The lack of resolution regarding Cheetah’s story in Wonder Woman 1984 creates a way for Barbara (Kristen Wiig) to remain relevant in Wonder Woman 3. The character was defeated by Diana (Gal Gadot) before the end of the movie, but another appearance from her in the DCEU hasn’t been ruled out, and she could theoretically make a comeback in the next Wonder Woman movie. A third solo film for the character is already confirmed to be in development, with Patty Jenkins once again helming the project.
In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana had to contend with Barbara Minerva, a gemologist who got her hands on the magical Dreamstone. Because of a wish to be more like Diana, Barbara gained super powers and became a physical threat to those around her. When Barbara discovered what was going on, she formed an alliance with Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), who helped achieve her goal of becoming an “apex predator” by transforming her into her comic book counterpart, the Cheetah. As the Cheetah, Barbara put up a good fight against Wonder Woman, but was ultimately taken down. A scene at the end of the film revealed that Barbara lost her Cheetah form once Lord was beaten and the wishes he granted were unilaterally renounced.
What happened to Barbara after losing her Cheetah abilities wasn’t shown, and Patty Jenkins has admitted that this was intentional. Jenkins said she had her reasons for keeping Cheetah’s ending “ambiguous” [via IndieWire]. This certainly makes it sound like the character is on the table for the next movie, though it’s worth wondering how she could work, given that Wonder Woman 3 won’t be a period piece. That means she’ll be about 40 years older when she reappears. It’s possible that this won’t be a problem — depending on what really happened with her first wish.
Barbara lost her Cheetah powers because they weren’t the product of a true “second wish”: they were given to her through the power Lord stole from those to whom he had previously granted wishes. Lord renouncing his wish is what stripped her of the Cheetah transformation, but what about the abilities she received from the first wish to be like Diana? Barbara never took back her wish onscreen, so it's possible she never did — and thus still has her powers. If she still possesses Diana’s qualities, that would imply she shares Wonder Woman’s immortality as well.
Being immortal would allow Barbara Minerva to remain active in the DCEU up until the timeframe of Wonder Woman 3. It could be that she’s still around and looking for a way to get payback on Diana. Alternatively, her goal could be to become the Cheetah again. It’s possible that if Barbara spends enough time searching, she may find another mystical artifact or perhaps some other magical means of acquiring the power she desires. If so, Wonder Woman 3 can finally deliver a comic book accurate Cheetah origin story.