Before I say any more, I want to just make sure everyone knows I LOVED WW movie. I think it deserves an Oscar nomination, I am that impressed with it. But I have to say as a WW fan it also broke my heart in places. It dealt WW's mythology a lot of unnecessary blows. Killing the Gods? Why? Killing Ares and not making him a glowing red eyed bad ass? Why? The sometimes silly tone of the villains? The fact that all Wonder Woman's supporting cast will be dead in the sequel. And there are more problems that were just more film based like over use of slow motion. There's a lot of good will toward this movie, but it could fade fast with a sequel that doesn't match up to the grandeur of it's predecessor.
I'm hoping when Wonder Woman is looked back on it is seen as one of the greatest comic book trilogies ever and it so can be. They've made easily for me one of the top 5 origin movies of all time in Wonder Woman 1, so all they need is a kick ass sequel.
So here is how I would make Wonder Woman 2 the next Dark Knight of DC movies (and it is very possible)
TONE
Lets start with tone. I think they balanced humor and dark moments so beautifully in the first WW. None of the humor seemed forced. It was organic to the story. So how do we get that tone and balance right again.
Unfortunately we cannot rely on the fish out of water scenario again because now WW would have been around 100 years. However I think there is something to be said for making WW 2 another fish out of water story in away so we can add some light moments to it. So how about we have WW getting used to being famous.
Having Wonder Woman getting use to being in the public eye with a few choice supporting cast would I feel add the requisite levity needed to keep the film from being to dour.
However I do think the film needs to take itself a little bit more seriously than the last one while not losing WW's kindness and buoyant spirit.
The more they allow Wonder Woman to shine as a beacon of love in a crazy world of image, beauty and publicity obsession the more the audience will fall in love with her.
The more the audience fall in love with WW the more affective, tearing her down in this movie is going to be. And that is exactly what needs to happen.
STORY
How can we tear Wonder Woman down in away that is taken seriously by general, mainstream audiences? One thing I can't stress enough, Cheetah cannot be main villain in WW2. I know people might say having a friend become villain adds emotion or whatever, but that for me is not enough. As a film maker for me there would only be one way to go. Go after Wonder Woman's mother. My idea would be to adapt a mix between The Circle and Eyes Of Medusa, With Alkyone as the main bad guy (See casting idea below) and have the balls to end the movie with WW going blind after blinding herself like a badass to save the Gateway City.
If they stay away from Cheetah and just adapt a mix between The Circle and Eyes Of Medusa, With Alkyone as the main bad guy (See casting idea below) and have the balls to blind WW midway through the movie and keep her like that at the end I see an audience in tears.
It would also be important to bring back the Gods to Wonder Woman's Universe for this to work. Also introducing that Dooms Doorway is underneath Paradise Island would be a good way of unleashing Medusa on the world.
But imagine this moment at the end of the WW2. It is revealed that Athena has been working covertly for WW in Themyscira House (Embassy. More on this later) and in the end she is going to grant WW's sight back, but instead WW forgoes her sight and asks that one of the little boys who had been turned to stone during Medusa's rampage be restored to life instead. AND IT HAS TO BE A LITTLE BOY NOT A GIRL. That is very important. Instantly the audience falls deeply in love with WW forever.
THE GODS AND WHAT TO DO WITH CHEETAH AND WONDER WOMAN'S QUIRKIER BUT COOL VILLAINS
I love Cheetah as a character. I think she would be great as the villain in the third film along with the God that curses her Urzkartaga.
My fear though is if they try and focus on ww's powers, and have her just fight a Warecheetah or an All powerful witch, the plot of the sequel will suffer greatly. WW needs a thinking villain. A villain with a plan, who can strategize and match wits with her. Cheetah only poses a physical threat (something good for a third movie) but I can't see that sustaining a whole narrative. Also after how silly in tone the villains were in the first movie, I fear if the franchise doesn't introduce a villain that can universally be taken as a serious threat, the haters who have come out in droves for the first WW movie may become the majority rather than a vocal minority. After the first film Patty has a lot of good will, but it is still very, very delicate. She and WW still have envious haters, even among DCEU fans who think WW went to light in tone.
So what would I do for the mean time with some of WW's great foes, who for now just wouldn't work as main villains for a sequel.
My idea is have Doctor Psycho and Cheetah be in Suicide Squad as they need more powerful members anyway, and it gives WW a chance to make an appearance or cameo in that film.
Bring back the damn Gods. Have Athena, bring back a younger Ares.
THE VILLAINS
Wonder Woman 2 as I mentioned should have two main villains. Medusa as secondary villain (see casting idea below)
killed off half way through the film after ww blinds herself so Medusa does not turn Gateway City residents to Stone. Then WW has to go back to save her mother from Alkyone and the evil Circle who sent Medusa to weaken WW. Only problem if she goes to the Island again, since she is forbidden, she loses her immortality.
Just Imagine these scenes in WW2 Movie?
In the end her mother is turned to stone saving blind WW from certain death by Alkyone. WW loses her immortality but instead of killing Alkyone commands the Amazons to imprison her once again under dooms doorway showing mercy even in the face of her desire for vengence.
MYTHOLOGY, DIANA'S JOB AND GIVE WONDER WOMAN A CITY ALREADY!
Dooms Doorway needs to be introduced in this movie as well. Diana is supposed to be Queen, but she leaves the Island and lets Artemis be Queen instead.
This sad ending sets up for a final ww film where she triumphs and is given her sight back, and truth restored. Also they need to screw this museum worker thing as Diana's civilian identity. Its nonsense. Lets get back to basics with WW.
Once she is known to the world, she needs to be an Ambassador of peace.
For all the good the first WW movie did they also made a mess of WW's mythology which will be hard to fix. It being set in WW1 means the second movie kills of all her supporting cast. They also killed Ares, and all the Gods. They've established her as someone who hasn't been doing anything as the horrors of the 20th century unfolded as well, This can be fixed, but they need to really go back to the source material. Also they've spoiled the whole fish out of water humor because WW would have been on Earth 100 years in the second movie. Gal is the perfect WW so it is really possible to save the second movie being a disaster. Especially with how Patty seems to get the character. My worry about Patty though is she takes too much of her cues from the TV show and Johns takes much of his cues from post New 52 Wonder Woman. That is a problem.
I just hope someone directs Patty away from the post new 52 crap and back to Simone and especially Rucka's first run for inspiration. Rucka's first run especially because he gave WW an amazing supporting cast to work with as well.
One other thing I would do, just to bring Etta Candy back, get a black or Asian woman to be interviewing for Themyscira Embassy job and her name ends up being Etta Candy...
WW meets and asks her why she has such an unusual name and she can say she was named after one of the early Suffragettes who inspired her Grandma or something a long those lines. So it means the first Etta Candy was a suffragette who fought for women's rights and the new Etta Candy was named after her. It will honor the first character while introducing a more modern Etta.
A little bit of thought and I think they can pull this off big time and make a Dark Knight of Wonder Woman. Lighter in tone of course, but also operatic and big.
If they try and focus on ww's powers, have her just fight a Warecheetah or an All powerful witch and end happy ever after and continue with the silly tone and lame villains, I fear for the franchise. They have a lot of good will. But once again, it's clear to me now RT is all powerful. People are sheep to its scores. They don't care about IMDB clearly. But I think name brand and word of mouth also helps.
OTHER CASTING AND SECONDARY CHARACTERS THAT NEED TO BE IN SECOND MOVIE
Mindy Myers:
I think this would be an interesting role for Mulligan and what female actress right now does not want to be in Wonder Woman 2?
I think they should introduce Veronica Cale to set her up as the puppet master in third installment.
Obviously she doesn't have the power to face WW so she would really be more secondary supporting character than straight out villain in either movie, and I would cast
Gina Davis. She wants in on the next Wonder Woman. Why not let her.
Let me know what you think of this as idea for a movie?