Wonder Woman Movie Villain Thread (Casting And More)

[The Major]

This thread is about the villains in the Wonder Woman mythos.

I'll be doing showing detailed information about them since the public doesn't know much about them. It'll make it much easier to get casting suggestions once these are revealed. If you have any choices feel free to chime in.

I'll also include some story lines from the comics which could be good films. Wonder Woman has plenty to choose from.

Discussion is encouraged.

 

[Lobo]

The Major, Thank You

I'll always have a special place in my heart for Circe

^By Aaron Lopresti

Here's a great link for her http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Circe

I always found her appearance and powers so visceral and perfect for film. I have an actress in mind, but I'm keeping that secret while I write my script. When it's done, I'll post a link to it, with the cast I had in mind while writing.

Circe is a sorceress and enchantress, and incredibly sexy. Her magic is EXTREMELY powerful, Zatanna would get her ass handed to her by Circe. One of Circe's favorite things is to turn men into animals, she can do this to women as well. The personality of the person decides the animal that they become. She calls these her Beastiamorphs

Post crisis they first time Circe met WW she nealrly killed her, the ONLY reason Diana survived is because Hermes intervened.

She can transmute matter, is a goddess level sorceress, can teleport, fly, and fire energy blasts

 

[The Major]

I'll begin with the Cheetah, Barbara Minerva.

Possibly the most well known Wonder Woman arch-enemy.

Barbara began as a well renowned archeologist/ tomb raider. Basically Lara Croft without a conscience. All she cares about is herself. She'll do anything to get what she wants. Other people, even her so-called allies, are just pawns in her agendas.

On an expedition to Africa she came across a cult which worshiped the god Urzkartaga. Through a ritual that required human sacrifice (she ends up killing a small time criminal she on her payroll for that honor in Perez' run) she did so without hesitation.

This transformed her appearance into a cat-like creature who can give Wonder Woman a tough fight in combat. In Perez' run WW barely survived the encounter. This occurred in a small story in "Challenge of the Gods".

Some versions, I think it was Rucka's, gave her magical claws. Always liked that idea. His Minerva had a twisted rivalry with Diana. She was jealous the world treated Diana with such respect while she was a hunted criminal. She thinks Diana is the same as she is deep down.

Many of her female villains see her that way. Some of them are very anti-male, too. Minerva is one of them.

Here are some links:

http://rapsheet.co.uk/RapSheetMain/Character.asp?UniqueId=265

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah_(comics)

The many Faces of Barbara Minerva links:

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5947481.html

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5900530.html

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5881725.html

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5785133.html


This is from a cross-over with Flash after Minerva boosted her speed training with Zoom:

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5186715.html

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/3293380.html

For this role Lucy Lawless came instantly to my mind.

 

[jmc]

The Major, Thank You

I'll always have a special place in my heart for Circe

My film 2 villain.

 

[The Major]

Ares

The literal god of war. Diana's first big bad Post-Crisis. This isn't some mortal villain who can be beaten with a bat on the head then sent to The Slab.

He's an immortal, abstract, all-powerful, brutal god who scares the crap out of anyone who faces him. Dressed in imposing Greek armor which covers his entire form, large enough to tower above any mortal with a helmet which leaves only his blood red eyes to watch his surroundings in while exuding menace which would frighten the most battle hardened soldier.

Ares gets his power from any fighting on Earth. That's why he keeps on creating wars over the ages. What makes him dangerous is that he's a schemer. He manipulates events, people and even gods to serve a grand plan they have no idea they're helping make for him. His primary goal is to become the leader of the Greek gods. He doesn't care who gets hurt in the process.

In Gods & Monsters he was able to manipulate the world into going into WW III by getting thousands of his secret cultists in the militaries in the Soviet Union and America to launch nukes at each nation.

He has two sons, who are gods, Phobos and Demios, to assist him in this goal. They didn't count on being killed by Wonder Woman. This allowed WW to make her first decapitation Post-Crisis.

http://rapsheet.co.uk/RapSheetMain/Character.asp?UniqueId=746

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_(DC_Comics)

Gods & Monsters

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/4038465.html

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/4400456.html

For Ares Keifer Sutherland, Bruce Willis and Jeremy Irons would be my choices.

 

[phoenixflight]

First Movie...Wonder Woman: The Movie

Second Movie...Wonder Woman: Amazon Princess

Third Movie...Wonder Woman: Goddess of Truth

 

[Fused]

thats pretty amazing! Id have that first paring for the 3rd movie and open with the Ares or Circe one.

all casting choices are inspired. still not 100% on brosnan though but i wouldnt cry about it.

 

[Pluto]

Ares!

 

[Pluto]

I think the main thing is.....villian be a man or woman.....

...it's a gender thing...

 

[EagleVision]

I think most of the time if you ask someone who WW's arch rival would be most would say Cheetah. But if we went the Cheetah route for the first film, I have a feeling the movie would feel a lot like Halle Berry's Catwoman which SUCKED ROYALLY.

And this film needs to be taken seriously.

Now I don't remember Circe or a whole lot of WW's rogues gallery but Circe or Ares might work. I know that WW did deal with the military a lot as well. And I believe that would be a great tie-in to use on the terrorist angle like Hulk and Iron Man.

In the presence of WW, soldiers and freedom fighters all around the world drop their guns. There would have to be peace

 

[BobJM]

I would like to Wonder Woman to battle against Ares.

She goes to Man's World to try and bring peace and stop their destructive behavior, whereas Ares uses their rage as his fuel to bring Man's World to its knees.

I don't want the film to be too political, but the message of the film should be peace and the end of war (similiar to Iron Man, but no obvious references to Bush administration or current war in Iraq). Maybe even using Kasnia in the film (from JL and JLU) in a civil war would be a clever idea.

 

[The Major]

I think most of the time if you ask someone who WW's arch rival would be most would say Cheetah. But if we went the Cheetah route for the first film, I have a feeling the movie would feel a lot like Halle Berry's Catwoman which SUCKED ROYALLY.

And this film needs to be taken seriously.

You're confusing the concept with the execution.

Cheetah could work done seriously. She was the first thing I though of who was similar to Halle's Catwoman. Only Cheetah is far more interested and twisted then Patience Price.

Bob:

They don't need Kasnia to create a civil war. They could use Circe and the Amazons of the Bana-Mighdall. It would be the perfect film to introduce Artemis to the franchise to set up an adaption of The Contest in the sequel.

 

[EagleVision]

The first film should be about origins and WW making a grand introduction into America coming in from the Greek islands. That's why I'd bring in the military in this one and have the movie deal along the lines of terrorist attacks and WW saving the world. Just as in the past she has fought against the Nazis and during the World War II era. We just have to bring her up to date and make her relevant. That's easy.

Then with part two we can bring in the villains like Cheetah, Ares, Circe, etc.

We gotta set it up right for a trilogy.

WW picks-
Monica Dean
Karen Cliche
Kate Beckinsale

 

[The Major]

They have enough material to make more movies from this then a trilogy.

Cheetah, Ares and Circe could headline films by themselves.

Circe's origin would also be perfect to set her up in a Beauty & the Beasts adaption to a duology where she manipulates the Amazons into a civil war between the Bana and Themyscirans and its sequel which could cover The Contest and have Artemis sort stint a WW. They'd kill her in the end or leave Artemis alive for sequels.

 

[The Major]

Circe's introduction should be an adaption of Beauty and the Beasts.

http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Woman-...bs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218571141&sr=8-3

The gist is that Circe doesn't want Diana to inherit Hecate's soul. Thats why she originally wants to destroy WW. There's more to it which includes the complex history between Hecate and herself but that should be simple to trim down in a movie.

Hecate hates the Greek gods when they alienate her after she helps them kill the old gods. She forms a pact with Circe to grant her more power, as a witch she has magic just not on that level, in exchange for being her champion. This occurs millennia ago.

By the time Diana defeats Ares (Gods & Mortals) and defeats the demons behind Doom's Doorway (Challenge of the Gods) Circe has become the secret master of two Greek islands. One island is populated which she rules for centuries in secret the other she uses as a base. There is an underground movement among the populace who try to rebel against Circe but they are in terrible shape, they dare not tell many people since nobody believes them and Circe will find out quickly who they are with her spies, which could be anyone, and animals she uses as constant surveillance. The animals and her minions kill everybody who gets in their way with ease. They can turn into demonic beasts who have sharp teeth and claws with red eyes that is an evil, distorted version of their true form.

Circe purchases the Greek island in a false identity. No-one goes there as she made sure the public know no visitors are wanted then made sure no-one can talk to her. She never installed phone lines, for instance. People think she's an old crone by now. No-one has any photos or information on her. The populace grow to fear the island and her false identity. They think its cursed. They just don't know the specifics. It's like an urban legend.


Diana goes visits Greece to follow her friends, Vanessa and Julia Kapatelis, who go there to see their relatives who live there. Diana also looks at the ancient sites from Greek culture which has a huge affect emotionally on her since it part of her heritage as an Amazon. The Greek government see her, as well. They see her as their champion.

Circe mainly stays in the shadows plotting for about half the story so when she's revealed its a huge deal. She's much less dramatic in this story then in the present comics. Circe is a brunette, too. The character is much closer to her mythic routes since this is the start of her career as a super-villain in the DCU.

 

[Lobo]

They have enough material to make more movies from this then a trilogy.

Cheetah, Ares and Circe could headline films by themselves.

Circe's origin would also be perfect to set her up in a Beauty & the Beasts adaption to a duology where she manipulates the Amazons into a civil war between the Bana and Themyscirans and its sequel which could cover The Contest and have Artemis sort stint a WW. They'd kill her in the end or leave Artemis alive for sequels.

Or if Artemis becomes popular, they could do a movie adaptation of Requiem. The Bana-Mighdall Amazons play a HUGE part in the third installment of my trilogy.

Also, Pre Crisis Circe was a sorceress that was banished by Hippolyta, thats a really easy thing to do for film.

 

[The Major]

Or if Artemis becomes popular, they could do a movie adaptation of Requiem. The Bana-Mighdall Amazons play a HUGE part in the third installment of my trilogy.

Agreed.

Also, Pre Crisis Circe was a sorceress that was banished by Hippolyta, thats a really easy thing to do for film.

Was it as good as the Perez Circe origin?

I could see BATB translated easily to a movie setting.

 

[Lobo]

Agreed.



Was it as good as the Perez Circe origin?

I could see BATB translated easily to a movie setting.

Not quite as good, this is her original DC origin

Circe is a centuries-old enchantress who is kept young by an elixir called vitae. It is made from a special combination of plants and herbs. While living on the island Aeaea, Circe gains magical powers. Circe is very skilled at turning men into any animal resembling their personality, and, for her crimes against mortalkind, the Amazon Queen Hippolyta banished her to Sorca, "an island planet in space, where she could do no harm".

 

[The Major]

Not quite as good, this is her original DC origin

Circe is a centuries-old enchantress who is kept young by an elixir called vitae. It is made from a special combination of plants and herbs. While living on the island Aeaea, Circe gains magical powers. Circe is very skilled at turning men into any animal resembling their personality, and, for her crimes against mortalkind, the Amazon Queen Hippolyta banished her to Sorca, "an island planet in space, where she could do no harm".

I think they should use Perez's, JMO.

 

[jmc]

They have enough material to make more movies from this then a trilogy.

Cheetah, Ares and Circe could headline films by themselves.

Ares can definitely headline, Circe and Cheetah not so much, as individual villains for the screen they don't have the legs that Ares can to carry the film by themselves. I think they'd work better in a duel villain film with Circe as the main antagonist and Cheetah as the secondary foe, not necessarily teamed together though, similar to the Batman Begins / TDK two villain approach. But then I've only got a two-film Wonder Woman series in mind.