In comic lore, Cheetah is one of Wonder Woman’s greatest adversaries. In most versions of the character, she’s a rich heiress with a victim complex and a selfish streak, who gains supernatural felinic powers through bad means. Her strength is otherworldly–enough to draw blood from Superman and best Wonder Woman in a physical fight.
Cheetah will be one of the villains in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984. And although we’ve seen plenty of Wonder Woman’s signature Golden Armor, we still haven’t seen a photo or video of a full-blown Cheetah. This is by design. According to an interview that comedian and actress Kristen Wiig did with InStyle, even Wiig wasn’t allowed to take any photos.
“This was [a] lockdown,” Wiig said. “They have it somewhere, and you will see it. But there are different evolutions to my character. I will leave you with that.”
Based on a recent trailer, in which Wonder Woman gasps to an unseen person, “Barbara, what did you do?” It seems like Warner Bros. wants the final reveal to be a climactic surprise. But if you’re impatient, there are a couple of places where you can get a decent idea of what the final Cheetah will look like.
The first is this Wonder Woman vs. Cheetah LEGO playset, a tie-in to the upcoming movie. The set includes three mini-figures: Wonder Woman, Max Lord, and Cheetah, in what appears to be a half-human, half-cheetah hybrid.
The second is this retail Cheetah doll by Mattel, which is available at retail outlets Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
The doll’s official details state, “This Battle Cheetah doll is inspired by her final transformation into the powerful Super-Villain, and with head-to-toe true-to-movie details, she’s prepared to fight for her claim to power.”
This is probably the most accurate depiction of Cheetah that we’re going to get until October 2, when the movie finally opens in theaters. Starring Gal Gadot in the title role, Wonder Woman 1984 will pit Diana Prince against two classic DC villains: Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah, played by Kristen Wiig, and Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal.
