'Wonder Woman 1984': Is it too early to ask for the Jenkins Cut? Low-rated movie might follow the Snyder Cut
Spoilers for 'Wonder Woman 1984'
With a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's safe to say that 'Wonder Woman 1984' is not the hit that the first movie was. Putting aside the box office earnings vs streaming, critics and fans both seem to agree that 'Wonder Woman 1984' is a much weaker film, joining a number of DC superhero films that the fans are unhappy with. Earlier this year, HBO Max proved that the fans' ire is one that Warner Bros is willing to bow down to when it announced the release of the famed "Snyder Cut" of 'Justice League', and there are even rumors of an "Ayer Cut" of 'Suicide Squad' being released. Should Patty Jenkins be allowed the same courtesy?
Fans have criticized the movie on a number of fronts, from its wasted opportunity to develop Cheetah's (Kirsten Wiig) story to a baffling decision to include a scene where Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) may have had non-consensual sex with a total stranger. The movie just didn't hit as hard with fans as the first film did, and it won't be long before the fans want more. Is that a request that's viable, though?
The conditions around the Snyder Cut are unique. It's not just the fans' constant demands for it that fueled the project's success, part of it was the fact that Snyder was unable to complete his vision for the film due to a death in the family, calling in director Joss Whedon to finish the project. Many fans blamed the poor quality and uneven tone of 'Justice League' on Whedon's cuts and reshoots, and are hoping that Snyder's original vision will give them the 'Justice League' they wanted.
In the case of 'Suicide Squad', for which an Ayer Cut has not been approved, David Ayer directed the movie from beginning till the end, and the same holds true for Patty Jenkins. She does, however, claim that Warner Bros forced her to change the ending of the film. In an interview with IGN, Jenkins said, "The original end of the first movie was also smaller but the studio made me change it at the last minute," adding, "And so, that’s always been a little bit of a bummer that that’s the one thing people talk about because I agreed, and I told the studio we didn’t have time to do it, but it was what it was and I ended up loving it, but that was not the original ending of the movie."
Would changing the ending be enough to turn 'Wonder Woman 1984' around for viewers? It's uncertain, but the idea of a Jenkins Cut certainly deserves as much consideration as the Ayer Cut of 'Suicide Squad' and the Schumacker Cut of 'Batman Forever' have both gotten, at the very least.
'Wonder Woman 1984' is now available on HBO Max.