Elena Anaya IS Doctor Poison

[The Shape]

I actually really dug Dr. Poison and how she was utilized.

Spoiler

I got the sense that she wasn't necessarily evil or truly interested in the mass murder, but was more so obsessed with perfecting her "creations". She was a "mad scientists" who was fascinated by her work and also seemingly hard on herself to succeed in creating a gas with the effect desired by Ludendorff.

If you think about her relationship with Ludendorff, he definitely used her and was seemingly the only man who gave her any kind of special attention. He pushed her and propped her up as someone "special", which is likely why she was so loyal to him and went along with his plans, even going as far as creating a special gas just for him.

Her scene with Steve at the gala is in line with this concept, as we get a flash of how she truly feels inside. Steve begins to compliment her and make her feel special, and you can tell she's actually on the hook with him a bit until his attention drifts towards Diana, at which point she gets pissed and storms off, swearing allegiance to Ludendorff.

Although I would have like to have seen more of her, I don't think it was truly necessary to flesh out her character much more beyond this, at least not within this particular story.

 

[Dark Raven]

Elena Anaya (Dr. Poision) as Aleera in Van Helsing.

She was also in Room in Themyscira Rome. That's the only place I know her from.

 

[Ivan Drago]

She was pretty hot, not gonna lie. Even with the mask off.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I have to say the ending is what sold me on this and that moment truly sold the message of the movie. This is someone who is horrifying even to be charitable (even if she's just a clinical desire of scientific pursuit, there's no doubt how many people she willingly killed). But the ending with the look on her face (credit to Ms. Anaya) sold the idea of the darkness and the light in humanity.

 

[Enriquespy]

I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help but love the little giggle she had

Spoiler

after she bombs the cabinet meeting and Ludendorff drops the mask as a cruel joke

So evil but so endearing!

 

[Oneiros]

I thought she was pretty great. Loved the scene when Steve was trying to seduce her and she caught him staring at Diana.

 

[souNdwAve89]

I enjoyed the character and Anaya's performance. I think they missed an opportunity to explore more of her character. They could have easily tied in her New52 origin to the overall message of the movie. I liked how they used her as a metaphor at the end, which was great, but I think it would have been more emotional and impactful if Diana knew Maru's past in someway somehow.

 

[NotNickFury]

I got a bit of a Scarecrow in Batman Begins vibe from Poison in that she's working for or at least under the influence of the main villain and the two never share screen time. Until near the end, anyway.

 

[Tg11]

It is obvious after what happened she will most likely be back

 

[David H.]

So, she was totally a much more substantial character at an earlier stage, right?

There's no way her characterization in the final film was meant to lead to her final moment confronting Diana.

 

[Lantern Venom]

shame we didn't get to see more of Dr Poison,

Spoiler

That bit at the end when she's helplessly infront of Wonder Woman and her mask started to come off made me really pity her character

I also felt some sympathy for her when...

Spoiler

Steve was talking to her at the party, she was clearly enjoying the attention of a young, handsome man. She looked like she was ready to weep due to his admiration. Anaya was outstanding in that scene.

 

[InvisibleWoman]

I also felt some sympathy for her when...

Spoiler

Steve was talking to her at the party, she was clearly enjoying the attention of a young, handsome man. She looked like she was ready to weep due to his admiration. Anaya was outstanding in that scene.

ITA. Her performance was a masterclass in subtlety. She facial expressions said everything that needed to be said. I felt like her character was groomed by the General... he flattered her ego and made her feel special, so I felt a certain degree of empathy towards her. Like maybe she was a different kind of victim of the war (still a bad guy though, obvs!)

 

[SupermanFanboy]

Also can I just say...Dr. Poison was a TOTAL BOSS on that Tarmac Ordering Germans around LOL (No Ludendorf. No Problem) So Cool To See!

 

[Wildcard]

It is obvious after what happened she will most likely be back

A fact I'm very glad about. Very pleased they didn't take the MCU approach with her. I feel like there's a lot more that could be done with the character in later stories.

 

[Darkness Falls]

i thought elena was fantastic
i loved her performance and how they incorporated dr poison into the plot

 

[Patchwork Man]

Also can I just say...Dr. Poison was a TOTAL BOSS on that Tarmac Ordering Germans around LOL (No Ludendorf. No Problem) So Cool To See!

 

[Ultra Nolanite]

I really loved this character for all the same reasons you guys just stated. Very well played and I sympathise with her despite her horrible contribution to the war.

Her scene with Steve Trevor was pure gold, completely sold me on the character. And the way she and Ludendorff troll the men caught in the room with the poison gas is hilarious and strangely adorable.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I definitely hope we see her again a sequel. I was intrigued by her character and wanted to know more about her.

 

[Slade W]

Spoiler

If she does turn up in a future movie, perhaps she will repay Diana somehow. Lots of times in stories, after a hero spares or saves a villain, the villain repays them or helps them in someway when it comes to taking down the new villain.

 

[Mike Murdock]

That would be cliche (I also don't think they're doing any more period pieces). I'd like to imagine that she repaid her debt by no longer devoting her talents to weapons of war.

 

[Slade W]

Lots of things in superhero movies are cliché. If they are executed well, they can still go over well with the audience.

 

[Vlyse]

Maybe she creates an anti-aging formula for herself and she appears in the modern day sequel ala Scarecrow in TDK. (a villain in the beginning of the movie for the hero to take down, to bridge the gap between 1st and 2nd film)

 

[TheFlamingCoco]

I think Dr Poison should have some ending where she turns herself in or something. Just something good and redemptive to wrap things up,
but not something where her story bogs down the narrative.

 

[moviefreak]

Very interesting article on the character development for Dr Maru --seems to be a new interpretation rather than basing on the 1940s version. Her facial scar was self-inflicted.

Elena Anaya reveals the secret motives and tragic history behind her Wonder Woman villain

https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15792508/elena-anaya-patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-villain-dr-maru-poison-secret-origin

What did your version of her history look like? Did you have a reason for her facial scars?

I went to Patty Jenkins and asked, “What happened to her?” And she said, “She did it on purpose.” I was like, “What? Patty, you’re going further than I ever imagined.” She said, “She wants to provoke painful suffering, so she tested her own gas on her own face. She wanted to know how deep this form of her gas would go, so she put it on her own face.” You can see half of her face is completely gone. This is the sadistic side of Dr. Maru. And that was the idea of Patty Jenkins, who gave me the best tools ever to work with a character.

Did you read any of the comics, or look at the history of the previous versions of the characters?

Yeah, I tried to find Dr. Poison at the beginning, when I got the script. I asked, “Holy ****, who is she?” I asked Patty, and she said, “Listen. We are doing this movie. There are so many comics. There are so many backgrounds, and so many things to put together. Let’s focus on what we have to tell in this script, which is a lot.” You just have to pick one background for yourself, even if it doesn’t match all the originals. You have to pick whatever the director asks you to play in the movie, and be conscious that your character is an important, clever piece, but it’s surrounded by so many other pieces You have to be conscious that you can’t tell the whole story just with your eyes. You try, but there is no room for everybody’s character background.

 

[ComicChick]

Yeah she interests me more as a villain than the general.

yeah but the General was important because it showed Diana that she was wrong in who she thought Ares was, and that evil can be in anyone, not just the obvious villains