During this summer’s inaugural DC FanDome event, the “Wonder Woman 1984” panel hosted a number of usual suspects, including director Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Kristen Wiig, and Pedro Pascal, along with a pretty notable super-fan: original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, whose presence was greeted by giddy admiration by Jenkins and her cadre of stars. So, is it really so shocking that Carter, who has both carried the Wonder Woman torch and so happily stumped for its latest on-screen incarnation has now popped up in Jenkins’ first sequel? Well, maybe it’s a little bit of a shock. After all, Jenkins didn’t include one in her first “Wonder Woman” feature, a major break from not just the rest of the DC Extended Universe, but also the entire current crop of superhero-centric features, which all seem to feature multiple mid- and post-credits scene rife with important information and winking in-jokes for its audience.
In 2017, when Jenkins eschewed the now-expected post-credits scene, she told HelloGiggles that she was “personally not a huge fan of them.” The filmmaker added, “The end of a film is the exclamation mark I have worked hard for, and I don’t want to cut to a commercial for a next film there. But, I would have been open to it if it flowed. In this case, it just didn’t feel right. This is a standalone film. It’s not a chapter in something else ‘next’ and I thought jumping to some momentous flash in the future would be jarring to the mood I’d worked so hard to get to.” In the case of “Wonder Woman 1984,” it clearly did feel right, serving as more of an exclamation mark (or perhaps a winky-face emoji?) rather than a pure “commercial” for the next outing (though, that could certainly be the case…). Warner Bros. / screencap
After Carter-as-Asteria saves the innocent, silly humans from said pole, the beloved actress then turns to the camera, and confirms she’s Asteria and “she’s been doing this for a long time.” Cue literal wink. It’s a cute moment, and one that might also signal more Asteria (and more Carter!) to come in what seems like the inevitable third “Wonder Woman” film. Is the world ready for two Wonder Women? Hell yes, now more than ever. “Wonder Woman 1984” is currently in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max. As new movies open in theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic, IndieWire will continue to review them whenever possible. We encourage readers to follow the safety precautions provided by CDC and health authorities. Additionally, our coverage will provide alternative viewing options whenever they are available. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.