Wonder Woman: New Gods

***Wonder Woman: New Gods*** is a 2015 superhero film, based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. It is a sequel to *Wonder Woman*, *Wonder Woman: Cold War*, and *Justice League: Brainiac*. It is the is the nineteenth installment in the DC Shared Film Universe and the third installment of Phase Three.

It was directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Morena Baccarin, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Olivia Munn, Ryan Reynolds, Zac Efron, Theo James, Tessa Thompson, Kurt Russell, and Jeff Bridges. The film was released on December 18, 2015 to gross $857.6 billion on a $175 million budget. The film ran 135 minutes. The film also received critical acclaim.

## Synopsis

Three years after *Justice League: Brainiac*, Diana is forced to take a rescue operation into space when Waller learns an A.R.G.U.S. spacejet never came back. Diana takes Steve Trevor, Carol Ferris, and Sebastian Ballesteros, better known as Cheetah, into space with her to find the missing agents and return them to Earth. However, when they stumble upon the dark planet of Apokolips, they learn of a terrible plot that could rip the universe to shreds.

## Plot

In New York City, Rick Flag discovers that an A.R.G.U.S. Javelin aircraft never came back after a space exploration mission. Flag learns that it crossed into another Sector, one where the evil dictator Darkseid reigns. Realizing this could lead Darkseid to Earth, which would cause the destruction and mass murder of everyone on Earth, Flag assigns Diana Prince/Wonder Woman to finding the agents before Darkseid can question them. However, Diana knows she will need help and asks Agent Steve Trevor to come along. Flag also decides to allow Sebastian Ballesteros/Cheetah to go with them, in order to redeem himself. Diana, Steve, and Sebastian leave, though on the way to Darkseid's planet, Apokolips, they are met by Carol Ferris/Star Sapphire, the leader of the Star Sapphires, one of the seven Lantern armies. Carol learns of their journey and joins them, knowing what Darkseid has done across the universe.

Arriving on Apokolips, the heroes land in the Kingdom, the home of the heroic New Gods. The Highfather reigns as the King, though he is a fair and just king, unlike Darkseid. The Kingdom also includes Highfather's son, Orion, Highfather's greatest friend, Himon, and his daughter, Bekka, who is engaged to Orion. Diana learns that Apokolips is split in half, Highfather rules half which includes the good New Gods and it's capital, the Kingdom, while Darkseid reigns over the over half which includes the evil New Gods and it's capital, Prime. Highfather explains that he and Darkseid are brothers, though Highfather is the elder. When Darkseid discovered the Highfather was to be king, he attempted to murder him. However, after failing, Darkseid attempted to take the Omega Force to take over the planet. Darkseid succeeded, but was turned into a stone-like creature. A war between Highfather's forces and Darkseid's forces waged for years until finally a treaty was signed by both parties and the war was concluded. Diana decides to help the Highfather stop Darkseid and save the citizens of Apokolips trapped under Darkseid's rule. However, when Steve reveals what they are really there for, the Highfather agrees to help them retrieve their friends, who were taken by Darkseid.

Highfather assigns Orion to working with Diana, Steve, Carol, and Sebastian. After working out a plan to infiltrate Darkseid's palace, they begin the journey to Prime. In Prime, Darkseid's son, Scott Free, trains with Big Barda, the leader of the Female Furies, Darkseid's elite fighting force, which is overseen by Granny Goodness. Despite growing up in the dismal, pessimistic half of Apokolips, Scott is a happy, heroic person, which is why Barda is in love with him. However, Granny receives word they have captured a foreign ship on the border. She watches Darkseid torture the three A.R.G.U.S. agents, though he has yet to learn of their origin. Scott finds him and gets angry at him for torturing the innocent aliens. The agents are taken to the prison to be questioned later on. Scott and Barda are later talking when they see Diana, Orion, Sebastian, Steve, and Carol arrive. The two question the heroes before they can enter the palace. Orion lies, saying they have been brought in to interrogate the prisoners. Scott, knowing of the prisoners' capture, allows them in. They make it to the prison, where they free the prisoners. However, Orion realizes that all the captives in the prison are innocent and lets them all out. Himon arrives in a ship, which the heroes and freed captives board. However, Scott and Barda chase them down and stop them. However, as Barda realizes what they are doing, she reluctantly lets them go.

Granny realizes Barda is lying when she says that the criminals got away and dismisses her. However, Darkseid decides to break the peace treaty and invade the Kingdom. Barda and Scott realize that their side of the New Gods is wrong in the way they treat others and decide to defect to the Kingdom, where their love is not forbidden. Granny promotes Lashina to the leader of thr Female Furies after Barda leaves. Scott reveals to the Kingdom of the impending invasion and lets them prepare. Coming up with a plan, Orion and Diana leave to attempt an assassination toward Darkseid, while Sebastian is going to pose as a general in the army. Barda, Scott, and Carol defend the Kingdom, while Steve attempts to fix the ship to allow him, Diana, Sebastian, Carol, and the A.R.G.U.S. agents to leave. As Diana and Orion arrive at Darkseid's throne room, Darkseid recognizes Orion and realizes the Highfather never told him the truth. Diana and Orion are shocked to discover that the latter is Darkseid's son who was traded with the Highfather's son, Scott Free, in order to demonstrate the new peace.

Sebastian betrays Diana and Steve and lets Darkseid's army know that the good New Gods are waiting for them and Diana and Orion are about to kill Darkseid. At the throne room, Darkseid reveals to Diana that the Old Gods, including Zeus, are now dead. Diana disbelieves that they could be dead, leading to Darkseid letting Diana and Orion go with their new information. However, on their way out, they are attacked by his forces, knowing about their arrival because of Sebastian. The two manage to fight their way out and return to the Kingdom. The army awaits the Apokoliptian soldiers' arrival, though they never show up. After having their communication cut off, Diana realizes Sebastian betrayed them. Orion comes to the Highfather with his new knowledge, and the Highfather is forced to confirm the truth. When Diana finds a prophecy talking about the end of the New Gods, she finds a part of the end scratched out. Diana and Orion ask the Highfather about the end of the prophecy, and tells them he doesn't know. Diana questions him with the Lasso of Truth, leading to him revealing that the end stated the Highfather would die at the hands of Darkseid's second-born son, and thought that if he adopted the son, he wouldn't die. Orion realizes he and Scott were traded away to satisfy the Highfather's desires. Orion's rage is released and he fulfills the prophecy, killing the Highfather.

Diana, Carol, Barda, and Scott attempt to arrest Orion for his crime, but he escapes and attempts to convince Bekka to come with him too, but she refuses, forcing him to kill her. Now that the Kingdom forces are severely weakened, Darkseid launches the attack. After a long fight, which includes Barda killing Lashina and Himon injuring Orion, Darkseid halts the fight. Sebastian manages to contact Diana, and reveals that his betrayl was just a ploy and now that he is with the large army, he can set off an explosion that will deplete Darkseid's forces. Diana realizes the explosion will kill Sebastian too, but he refuses to give up. Diana gets the major amount of the Kingdom's forces off of the battlefield just in time for Sebastain to set off the explosion, which kills Orion, the remaining Female Furies, Darkseid's eldest son, Grayven, Sebastian, and countless other Apokoliptian soldiers. Darkseid, Granny, Darkseid's main enforcer and uncle, Steppenwolf, and the remaining soldiers return to Prime.

Barda realizes that Sebastian's explosion has just opened the door for Darkseid to be able to bomb the good New Gods. Diana suggests they evacuate, as Darkseid begins sending the advanced warships after them. Barda and Scott realize they can take the population away in just four ships. Diana decides they should have one of the main fighters in each ship. Steve manages to get the ship ready, but it's fuel is low and must leave immediately. Steve, Carol, and the agents board, but Diana decides to stay with the New Gods to ensure they escape and survive. Diana promises Steve they will see each other again and kisses him, before they leave. Diana takes a ship, as does Barda, Scott, and Himon, and the population of the Kingdom half leave the planet. Darkseid's air enforces find the Highfather's half of the planet lifeless and gone, as Darkseid realizes they have left. In a post-credits scene, Steppenwolf discovers that the A.R.G.U.S. prisoners were from a practically defenseless planet called Earth, which Darkseid decides to launch the Anti-Life Equation upon and conquer another planet.

## Cast

* Morena Baccarin as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
* Freddie Prinze, Jr. as Steve Trevor III
* Olivia Munn as Carol Ferris/Star Sapphire
* Ryan Reynolds as Sebastian Ballesteros/Cheetah
* Zac Efron as Orion
* Theo James as Scott Free
* Tessa Thompson as Big Barda
* Tom Hardy as Grayven
* Vin Diesel as Steppenwolf
* Margot Robbie as Bekka
* Betty White as Granny Goodness
* Meta Golding as Lashina
* Frank Grillo as Himon
* Kurt Russell as Highfather
* Jeff Bridges as Darkseid

Ryan Gosling appears as Rick Flag