Kristen Wiig's performance as Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 was well-received, but the character was misused by the script - but Wonder Woman 3 could fix that. Cheetah was left with little to do after her introduction in act one as a bumbling, nerdy scientist with the desire to be well-liked. When Barbara transforms into Cheetah, she was little more than an obstacle for Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to overcome to get to the real matter at hand. Cheetah didn't get her due and deserves a much larger arc in Wonder Woman 3.
Barbara Minerva is introduced in WW84 as a gemologist who works with Diana. When Barbara comes in contact with the legendary Dreamstone, she unwittingly wishes to become more like Diana, not realizing she would be gifted with super strength and speed. The put-upon scientist soon begins abusing her power, becoming a threat to those around her. She becomes aligned with Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), who nudges her further along, enhancing her powers to transform her into the fully-formed Cheetah, the apex predator Barbara longs to be. Barbara as Cheetah finds herself a formidable foe against Wonder Woman, but is ultimately defeated, though pointedly not killed. At the end of the film, Barbara is alone and without her powers after Lord's hold on the world is relinquished.
The comic books portray Cheetah as one of Wonder Woman's greatest enemies, as Joker was to Batman and as Lex Luthor was to Superman. Cheetah's characterization is ruthless, merciless, and without sympathy, drawing her in direct juxtaposition to the kind and open heart of Diana. The two powerful women are polar opposites, presenting a perfect foil for one another that match only in strength. In Wonder Woman 1984's somewhat clipped version of the character, she is not the ultimate foe that the comic books make her out to be. Barbara's characterization was shortened, relegated to a smaller portion of the film than fans expected. Her fight with Diana was exciting to watch, but she didn't get the build-up that Maxwell Lord did, instead playing second fiddle to the failing businessman. Even more questionably, the moment used as Barbara's heel turn was when she beat up a predatory man who had previously tried to assault her as she walked home from work one night.
When Wonder Woman came out in 2017, it was largely loved. When finally it emerged onto the big screen, the superhero movie garnered mostly positive reviews, with notable praise for acting, visuals, action sequences, direction, and musical score. The warm emotionality was beset with stellar performances and an effective story that audiences and critics responded favorably to. It asserted its place as the tenth highest-grossing film of 2017, and the highest-grossing film directed by a woman. For female audiences, in particular, the movie seemed to mark a turning point.
The movie's one widespread criticism was about Wonder Woman's villain, Ares (David Thewlis). The performance was well done (though some viewers felt Thewlis's casting was off) but the script seemed to unravel in the third act when the God of War was finally introduced, turning their final battle into a CGI slugfest instead of the character-driven drama it had been. That fight was noted as the movie's biggest flaw, and it was a detail that even director Patty Jenkins was annoyed about. She revealed that the studio forced her hand and that the ending she had originally planned would have made more sense with the rest of the film, even after she argued with Warner Bros. that there wasn't enough time to make such a significant change to the film smoothly.
The villains in Wonder Woman 1984 were decidedly stronger and better developed, but audiences were still unsatisfied. They questioned why Barbara Minerva had been relegated to the role of sidekick, subservient to the main villain Maxwell Lord and never allowed to come into her own in any significant way. Barbara proved an interesting character onscreen with the wonderful casting choice of Wiig as the tortured and disillusioned intellectual, but she simply wasn't given enough screen time. Cheetah, when fully formed, is a formidable opponent for Wonder Woman, with more speed than Shazam, Kid Flash, Wonder Woman, and Godspeed, according to DC Comics. The two women have a storied past and a strong relationship base which WW84 only briefly touched upon before focusing on Maxwell Lord. Wonder Woman 3 would do well to expand on this relationship and dive deeper into the complex and intriguing character that is Barbara Minerva.
There was a lack of resolution for Barbara in Wonder Woman 1984, and Jenkins admitted that she left the ending ambiguous on purpose. Barbara isn't killed but kept alive, with a haunting final shot of her after she loses the ferocious form gifted to her by Maxwell Lord's wishes. What is never explicitly stated, however, is whether she lost her original powers from the first wish she made to the Dreamstone. There is every possibility that she retained dominion over the skills that the mythical stone bequeathed to her. If not, there are a variety of avenues provided by the comic books for Barbara to once more transform into Cheetah. In one version, the powers are conferred to her by drinking a special potion made with human blood and the berries and leaves of Urzkartaga, an ancient plant deity. In another, she is given the ability to switch back and forth from her Cheetah form by the witch Circe, another tie-in to Greek myth.
Wonder Woman 3 won't be a period piece, with its setting in current times as opposed to the 1980s. Even so, there are a variety of ways for Cheetah to retain her youth in order to keep in lockstep with Diana. If she indeed kept hold of her first wish, she would also be imbued with the longevity of the Amazonians. Barbara was given enough motivation to retain her abilities in WW84, so it is likely that whatever her methods, she will fight to once more become a powerful predator. The DCEU is full of mystical artifacts and beings galore that could aid Barbara on her quest, and there is no doubt a satisfying return could happen.
Barbara Minerva was not the first iteration of Cheetah, but she is certainly the most popular. Taking over after the Deborah Domain version of the character, Barbara was introduced as a passionate academic with whom Diana found fast friendship. Diana feels deeply betrayed by her on more than one occasion, illustrating their bond. Where Wonder Woman is a hero who leads by love, Cheetah is a villain who experiences emotional stuntedness. She was created by William Moulton Marston as an allegory or embodiment of what he dubbed "less actively developed women," or those who are emotionally misaligned and need to be reformed by someone with a more healthy handle on emotions.
In Wonder Woman 1984, it seemed clear that the filmmakers were attempting to set up a character with whom many people could relate, even going so far as to utilize the "neutered nerd" trope as seen in films like Batman Returns and Spider-Man 2. Barbara's timidity turned tenacity is something that many people secretly desire. Her hunger for attention, for elegance, and for perceived perfection is amplified by the Dreamstone, giving her more than she bargained for. Wonder Woman never truly falters, even in her childhood, and this is where the contrast between her and Cheetah is so striking. Barbara is presented as an every-woman who feels uncomfortable in her own skin, someone whose power gives her something she has always craved, possibly since her youth. Audiences can look up to Wonder Woman or Diana, but both are so idealized they seem unattainable as an aspiration. Barbara serves as the flawed, relatable reflection of Diana's power, a mirror against which Diana's pitfalls can shine. To bring back the character of Cheetah would make Wonder Woman 3 something truly special.
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