Steve Trevor is back but how will 'Wonder Woman 1984' justify the return of Diana Prince's lover?
Unless you are living under a rock, news must have reached you that Steve Trevor is officially back and he is very much a part of the Gal Gadot Wonder Woman sequel titled, 'Wonder Woman 1984'. (Oh yes, the upcoming film will actually be set in the 80s and the timeline is an integral part of the narrative.)
The charming pilot-cum-intelligence officer, a character brought to life by Chris Pine in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie, however, met with a tragic end. After accidentally landing in Themyscira and developing a close bond with the Amazon warrior, Diana Prince, Trevor goes on to accomplish greats feats - aiding the future Wonder Woman in saving mankind from an impending war and crisis.
Under the skillful and impassionate direction of Patty Jenkins, the DC blockbuster not only embedded Trevor's character in the hearts of fans, even after his death, but also showed him under a new light. Especially in terms of his growing emotions for Wonder Woman, the Trevor-Diana relationship stood out and even elevated a mere superhero arc, to the surprise of fans.
The news of his return, though, had been making headlines for quite some time now. But what many couldn't fathom just how Jenkins and DC Entertainment chief Geoff Johns would bring back a character from the dead without trivializing the intense narrative of the DC hero.
One thing is for sure that Trevor is part of the second Wonder Woman movie - as confirmed by Jenkins herself with an official photo shared via her Twitter account.
"Welcome to WONDER WOMAN 1984, Steve Trevor! #WW84," she captioned the photo, sending fans into an overdrive over speculations of how Trevor's return is going to be justified.
Apart from Trevor's return, the DC filmmaker also teased a Diana Prince still, with Gadot's superhero standing in front of a wall of TV screens flashing different images - perhaps early clues of the Cold War-inflicted era?
So how exactly does Trevor's return fit in with the 1984 narrative?
There are, indeed, many different ways Steve Trevor - who was blown up during the events of Wonder Woman's first installment - could be brought back in action. And somehow all the explanations take us back to the comics literature.
In the comics, Trevor has endured many deaths and resurrections. The character, created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter and first appearing in the All-Star Comics #8. (1941), was killed off by Doctor Cyber in Wonder Woman No. 180 (1969). He would eventually be brought back as Steve Howard only for a short-lived appearance.
The convoluted arc further revealed that Howard wasn't Trevor at all, rather god Eros' spirit in a dead Trevor's body. Finally, a third Trevor would be introduced into the Wonder Woman comics. With some help from Goddess Aphrodite, somehow, he would retain the memories of the original Trevor and all of this went down in the issue, 'Wonder Woman No. 322' (1984).
If the date seems familiar, it's because Wonder Woman 2 (the movie), picks up the pace in this particular year, fast-forwarding after the course of events during WWI.
I am not saying that Jenkins and Johns exactly have the No. 322 comic issue on their mind with regards to the upcoming Gadot-starrer. But given the connections and coincidence, it's not a far-fetched prediction either.
After all, Pine's Trevor looks all confused and is in 80s style attire in the new photo - could this be an indication of his corporeal resurrection?