There was a lot to love in this summer’s Wonder Woman, but one of the loveliest aspects was Diana’s relationship with Steve Trevor. Chris Pine’s American spy helped usher Gal Gadot’s Diana into life beyond Themiscyra, and his bemusement and appreciation of her gumption was pretty damn charming. When he (spoiler alert) died in heroic fashion, it was a turning point for Diana, with the emotional impact resonating through to Justice League.
Honestly, if Chris Pine was literally the first man you ever saw, everyone else would seem like a bit of a letdown. Despite this truth, director Patty Jenkins promises a new love interest for Diana in Wonder Woman 2. In Variety’s Playback podcast, Jenkins gave a vague tease of things to come:
“It’s really still going to other values of hers, and a similar formula insofar as making a great, enjoyable fun movie but that ultimately in its third act turns some very big issues, and a very big experience that will aim to have slightly more weight and profundity than it has to have. Because that’s a formula that I really like, and I like the idea of taking somebody on a very solid, great journey but that arrives at a bigger question being answered. So it’s like that but because she is Wonder Woman and she’s here now and she’s fully developed, it’s got great fun from the start and great big superhero presence from the start, and is funny and a great love story again and a couple new unbelievable characters who I’m so excited about, who are very different than were in the last movie.”
Because of the Hollywood formula, it’s not unexpected that Diana would have another love interest, but in the context of the DCU, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Steve Trevor has been set up as the love of her life (step off, WonderBat shippers), and his continued influence into Justice League would make another lover seem like a bit of an afterthought and lessen the influence that he had on Diana. We don’t want a Steve Rogers/Sharon Carter problem. Similarly, if they find a way to resurrect Trevor — we never did see a body — the impact of his sacrifice will be seriously tarnished.
While it might seem like Jenkins and co. have written themselves into a corner with Diana’s love life, fans should probably trust Jenkins to untangle it. She did give us No Man’s Land, after all.
(Via Variety)