Our heads are still reeling from the first trailer forWonder Woman 1984— is yours? Well, once it gets settled and you absorb what you just watched you, like me, may be wondering whyWonder Woman 1984is set in the 1980s. I mean, there has to besomegood reason for pushing Diana Prince’s (GalGadot), a.k.a. Wonder Woman, story up 70 years following 2017’sWonder Woman, right? Luckily, directorPatty Jenkinswas on hand to give some answers about the choices behind the new era during theWonder Woman 1984livestream panel at CCXP 2019 on Sunday.
Jenkins and Gadot were on hand during Sunday’s livestream panel for theWonder Womansequel not only to present new character posters or the new trailer to the world, but also answer questions about the upcoming flick. When the panel moderator shared with Jenkins a fan question asking whether it was a challenge to connect the time period ofWonder WomanwithWonder Woman1984, Jenkins replied,
“It wasn’t a challenge to connect them because the first movie was its own story and this is very much its own story and it tells a perfect progression of Diana even thought it’s in such a different period of time.”
But this fan question also happened to be a two-fer, with the second part inquiring why the early ’80s were chosen for this sequel. Naturally, no details slip by Jenkins in the production process and she made that clear while explaining why the ’80s felt like a perfect re-entry point back into Diana’s story.
“Why 1984? We wanted to bring Diana into the modern world. But the ’80s is a period that Wonder Woman is quite synonymous with. So it was great to see her there. But most importantly, it’s sort of the height of Western civilization and the success of the world that we all live in in the aftermath of now. So, I was curious to collide our Wonder Woman into the height of our current modern belief system and what kind of villains come out of that and see what happens. So, it all came quite naturally.”
Jenkins isn’t wrong, of course. The character of Wonder Womanissynonymous with the late ’70s (you didn’t forget aboutLynda Carter, did you?) and early ’80s. She’s also not wrong that there’s something especially politically and culturally enticing about this time period, with the Cold War reaching its peak alongside the rise of the shopping mall, the ubiquity of big, brash pop music, and much, much more. But, it’s probably worth remembering an important work by oneGeorge Orwell, a little novel titled1984, also envisions a 1980s where Big Brother looms and the control of the masses from powers on high reigns. Keep tabs, folks, because it’s clear this time period wasn’t chosen accidentally.
Wonder Woman 1984arrives in theaters July 11, 2025. Before you go, make sure you watch thetrailer forWonder Woman 1984and get a good look at thegorgeous new characters posters.
