Wonder Woman 1984 ends with a mid-credit scene and a major character introduction, wrapping up a loose plot point while also expanding on the greater legacy of the Wonder Woman character herself. After the day has been saved and order restored, we catch a quick glimpse of long-lost Amazonian Asteria — and she’s played by none other than original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter.
Thanks to countless marketing images and promos, before you even saw the movie you probably knew that Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) would don an all-gold suit of armour with wings — aka, the Golden Eagle Armour. She wears the suit in the final battle, but it’s not actually her suit. Once upon a time, it belonged to Asteria.
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As Diana tells Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, who’s back from the dead, and no we don’t have time to unpack it now), when the Amazonians were enslaved by humans, Asteria fought them to let her sisters escape. While she succeeds in fighting off the men (thanks to her indestructible suit), she disappears and has been presumed dead ever since. However, we now know otherwise, as she’s really wandering around through outdoor markets doing small feats of strength.
If you don’t immediately recognize her onscreen, in both the flashback and the end-credit scene, Asteria is played by Carter, who starred as the titular Wonder Woman in the beloved TV series in the 1970s. Though the series only lasted for three seasons and never received widespread critical acclaim at the time, it’s now become a cult-classic (which you can also watch on HBO Max). Carter's Diana is hailed as a feminist hero to this day. It was just a matter of time before she herself showed up in one of the Wonder Woman movies, and her inclusion is a perfect, though short, tribute.
Considering that Wonder Woman 3 is officially a go, will we see Asteria return for another movie? A good place to look for clues here might be the comics...however, Asteria isn’t a major character in any Wonder Woman comics, let alone overall DC comics. Her only appearance happens in Elseworlds: Supergirl & Batgirl, a one-shot issue from 1998 where Asteria is simply a supporting character hanging out with Supergirl and Batgirl while they save Gotham. That’s certainly not enough to base a brand-new character on in future movies, but not everything always has to be pulled directly from the comics.
Carter’s inclusion of Asteria leaves the door wide open for her to return — imagine Diana learning that another Amazonian has left Themyscira, giving her someone to relate to on a much deeper level. Just imagine watching Gadot and Carter taking down bad guys together! Imagine them flying in the invisible jet together, to parts unknown! But, the way the movie frames it this could also be a one and done deal. Diana looked for Asteria, found her armor instead, and is none the wiser to the fact that Asteria is actually alive and saving people every day.
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