Wonder Woman 2: 6 other actresses we’d like to see play Cheetah

SANTA MONICA, CA – JANUARY 11: Actor Gal Gadot (L) and director Patty Jenkins accept Best Action Movie for ‘Wonder Woman’ onstage during The 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 11, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Actress Kristen Wiig is circling the role of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2. Although she’s a talented actress there are some other names we’d like to see considered for the role.

Cheetah is easily the most recognizable Wonder Woman villain. When it was first announced that Wonder Woman 2 would focus on the feline supervillain, DC fans were understandably excited. While there have been a few changes to Cheetah’s history since debuting back in Wonder Woman Issue 6 in 1943, there’s some potential for an excellent villain.

Deadline was the first to report that Last Man on Earth actress Kristen Wiig is being considered for the role of Cheetah in the upcoming Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman sequel. The 44-year old actress is known for her comedic roles in Arrested Development, and voice-over work for Sausage Party, Despicable Me, and How to Train Your Dragon. It remains to be seen if she’s going to be the only actress in the running for the villainous role. With the role essentially still void, despite the recent rumor, there are a number of actresses we think would make for a perfect Cheetah.

Who is Cheetah?

Before she became Cheetah, Dr. Barbara Minerva was an overly ambitious archeologist who’d stop at nothing to obtain an artifact. Minerva’s willingness to straddle the gray area or outright commit a crime isn’t the only thing that makes her a villain. During an exhibition into an African jungle, Minerva and her team stumbled upon a village in the middle of a ritual. One of the members was taken as a sacrifice, but before the ritual’s conclusion, the village was ambushed. The attacker’s slaughtered everyone except Minerva, Dr. Tom Leavens, and the witch doctor Chuma.

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The three of them escaped but were trapped in a cave. While trapped, Chuma explained that the ritual would have reverted elder back to a young woman and bestowed great power onto her. While trapped Minerva would receive the power after murdering Leavens as a human sacrifice needed to complete the ritual. With her newly bestowed power, Minerva escaped and murdered the invaders. She’d eventually return to the states and resume a career in crime, unfortunately, the ritual required a virgin, consequently, she was weakened while in human form. However, it’s only during a full moon that she is able to become Cheetah.

Back in the states, Minerva discovers Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth and decides to go after it. She tried to use her criminally sly ways to obtain it but failed. Left with no other choice, she used her Cheetah identity to take the lasso by force. She would succeed and escape to Africa, but where she learns her powers are weakening. Wonder Woman tracks her down and Minverva is thrown in jail. Weakened and imprisoned, she would sacrifice her soul for permanent Cheetah power to Circe. It will be then she takes in the form of a beast and Cheetah is truly born.