Wonder Woman: New Gods

**Wonder Woman: New Gods** is a 2016 superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman. The film was directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Tessa Thompson, Charlie Hunnam, Connie Nielsen, Sebastian Stan, Lucy Davis, Tom Cruise, and Angela Bassett. It was released on November 4, 2016 and grossed $867.4 million against a $225 million budget. It ran 141 minutes and received critical acclaim from critics, who praised its praise for Gadot, Hemsworth, and Dance's performances and Jenkins' direction, as well as the screenplay, cinematography, and score.

## Plot

Diana, as a child, asks Hippolyta to tell her the story of the New Gods. Hippolyta reveals that the Old Golds created the New Gods, who resided in Urgrund, a part of the Fourth World, a dimension outside of space and time. Many of the New Gods rebelled against the Old Gods, while some were loyal. The Old Gods were killed as a result of the war, and Urgrund was split into two planets, the dystopian Apokolips and a separate utopian planet. The New Gods who rebelled, united under Yuga Khan, ruled over Apokolips, while the loyal ones, united under the Highfather, resided in a sector of Apokolips called Genesis, unable to leave. In the present day, following the Anti-Vigilante Act, Diana has given up being Wonder Woman, instead leading A.R.G.U.S. Steve Trevor, Assistant Director, locates Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah, who has been on the run for three years. Diana and Steve bring her in, and Diana is disappointed, as Minerva was pardoned after helping them, though she went back to crime. On their way back to A.R.G.U.S., they are alerted that an A.R.G.U.S. spacecraft went missing in deep space, likely going through a black hole. While they initially plan to drop Minerva off first, she wants to help. Diana reluctantly agrees, and they set a course for the approximate location of the black hole. However, they discover it is not a black hole, but a portal to a mysterious dimension outside of space and time. Accidentally going through the portal, the ship arrives on Apokolips, but is damaged in landing.

Remembering Hippolyta's story, Diana leads Steve and Minerva to Genesis, where she identifies herself to the guards. The three are brought to the Highfather, who grants them asylum while they fix their ship. Diana asks him about the missing A.R.G.U.S. agents, but he tells her they likely landed in Darkseid's territory. As Diana sees how mistreated the people are under Darkseid's rule, she begins to want to help them. While in Genesis, Diana meets the Highfather's son, Orion, and his fiancee, Bekka, along with Bekka's father, Himon. In Darkseid's "kingdom", Big Barda trains new recruits into the army, as well as leading the Female Furies, Darkseid's all-female elite warrior squad, mentored by Granny Goodness. Darkseid works with Metron, a synthetic cyborg, to figure out the Anti-Life Equation, which will turn any living being he chooses into a zombie-like slave. Darkseid's sons, Scott and Grayven, have wildly different ideas of their father. While Grayven worships him, Scott believes he is a tyrant and should be stopped. In Genesis, Diana wants to raid Darkseid's kingdom to find the missing A.R.G.U.S. agents. The Highfather does not allow her to take any of their troops as he believes the agents are dead, but Steve and Orion agree to accompany her. Diana forces Steve to stay behind as it is too dangerous, which angers him, as he witnesses Diana and Orion bonding.

Minerva is unable to find her place in Genesis until she meets Bekka, who is blind and unable to see what she looks like. The two women bond, and Minerva discovers Bekka has a long scar down her arm. When asking her about it, Bekka avoids the question, but tells her that it was not Orion. As Diana and Orion approach the kingdom, the latter begins to make advances on Diana, who stops him, as he is engaged to Bekka. Orion reveals that he and Bekka do not love one another, but the Highfather and Himon forced them into the relationship. Diana, hearing this, kisses Orion. In Genesis, Minerva discovers the Highfather and Himon discussing an issue, but when they see her, Himon nearly shoots her, before Highfather simply shuts the door. Minerva manages to overhear them talking about the "agents" before leaving. Minerva goes to Steve, who does not believe her, but agrees to investigate with her. Going to the prison hidden underneath, they discover a locked door. Minerva finds Bekka and convinces her to unlock the door, using her father's key, which she stole. The three find the bodies of the three A.R.G.U.S. agents brutally murdered in the room, horrifying all three of them. They are found by the Highfather, who imprisons them in the same room, leaving them to die.

In the Kingdom, Barda and Scott are revealed to be in an affair, as Furies are not allowed to be in relationships. Scott manages to get her to see the horrors of what Darkseid has done, and they decide to rebel to Genesis. Meeting Diana and Orion on their way out, Barda gives them a tip on how to get into the Kingdom. However, on their way in, they are confronted by Grayven, the leader of the army. He takes them to Darkseid, who reveals that Orion is his son. Diana and Orion do not believe him, but Darkseid reveals that when he and the Highfather were at war, the Highfather offered Darkseid Scott, in exchange for Orion, as a peace offering to end the war. Darkseid offers Orion a position in his Kingdom, but Diana attacks him. Grayven defends Darkseid, but Orion attacks him. The two brothers brawl until Diana opens a boom tube, using Darkseid's technology, which she and Orion jump through, ending up back in Genesis. Diana learns from Himon, who is revealed to be serving Highfather in fear, that Steve, Minerva, and Bekka are in the vault. Diana frees them, and they reveal that the Highfather is not who he seems.

Orion confronts the Highfather about his heritage. The Highfather reveals the truth, but apologizes. Orion's temper seems to get the better of him, knowing that Darkseid is his father. Diana and the others arrive and she uses the Lasso on the Highfather, who reveals that he does not believe those on Earth can be good, not even Amazons, which is why he killed the A.R.G.U.S. agents. Diana asks him why he allowed them, if she is an Amazon, and Steve and Minerva are humans. The Highfather realizes she does not know and informs her that she is the daughter of Zeus, who had an affair with Hippolyta. Orion forces him to answer the true reason he gave him up, so he tells the group that Metron showed him a prophecy, saying that his son would kill him. To protect himself he gave up Scott. Orion scoffs at him, telling him that he is not his father, before murdering him. Bekka tries to calm him down, but Orion stabs her as well, before fleeing. Minerva is devastated about her death, as Bekka breathes her last breath. Barda and Scott arrive and learn of what has happened. They decide to evacuate the planet, to go to the utopian planet that Highfather never allowed them to escape to. Barda, Scott, Himon, and Steve stay with half the army as a defense in case Darkseid attacks again, while Diana goes after Orion, and Minerva leads the other half of the army to take out Darkseid's assets, after being recommended by Steve.

In the Kingdom, Orion arrives and pledges allegiance to Darkseid. He also informs them that Diana is likely coming any moment. Darkseid prepares Grayven with nearly all their troops. Diana makes it into the Kingdom without being seen by the army and fights Granny, Glorious Godfrey, and Desaad, using her newfound demigod abilities, before finding Orion. The two duel, with Orion revealing he has set up explosives all across Genesis, and that he will kill Darkseid and take his power, just as Darkseid did to his father. Meanwhile, Minerva arrives at the Kingdom with the army, who fight Grayven and his soldiers. Minerva discovers that nearly all of Darkseid's intelligance comes from the Kingdom. Minerva and the army decide to set off their explosive "Plan B", killing them all and destroying the Kingdom, but not before Darkseid, Granny, Glorious, and Desaad make it out. Before she dies, Minerva tells Steve that she has finally found her purpose in life. Diana knocks Orion down and prepares to take him in, but he reaches for the explosive device, preparing to set it off, forcing Diana to kill Orion, knowing he cannot be redeemed. Diana returns to Genesis, where they set a course for the planet, which they call New Genesis. However, as Steve realizes he does not have a way back to Earth, Diana uses her sword, a Mother Box, to send him back, after saying goodbye.

In a mid-credits scene, Darkseid and his remaining followers look around Apokolips and realize that nearly all their troops and intel are gone. Darkseid has Metron begin searching the universe for a new army. In a post-credits scene, the Genesis ship is approached by a much larger one.

## Cast

* Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
* Chris Pine as Steve Trevor
* Kristen Wiig as Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah
* Chris Hemsworth as Orion
* Meghan Markle as Big Barda
* Matt Barr as Scott
* Neil Patrick Harris as Desaad
* Priyanka Chopra as Bekka
* George Clooney as Himon
* Ryan Gosling as Glorious Godfrey
* Skeet Ulrich as Metron
* Joe Manganiello as Grayven
* Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta
* Betty White as Granny Goodness
* Josh Brolin as Darkseid
* Charles Dance as Highfather

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Wonder Woman: New Gods** grossed $305.6 million (35.2%) in the United States and Canada and $561.8 million (64.8%) in other territories for a total of $867.4 million. Worldwide, it is the ninth highest-grossing 2016 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $356 million. *Deadline Hollywood* calculated the net profit of the film to be $170.2 million, making it the tenth most profitable release of 2016.

### **Critical reception**

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, *Wonder Woman: New Gods* holds an approval rating of 90% based on 389 reviews, with an average rating of 8.05/10.