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Wonder Woman 1984 is now streaming on HBO Max and is in theaters across the world. This means that DC Comics fans are starting to watch the sequel starring Gal Gadot and are wondering whether there is an after-credits scene that sets up important plot points for a potential third Wonder Woman film.
While there is a post-credits (or rather mid-credits) scene in WW84, it is not the kind of scene that sets up the next movie in the DC universe or the upcoming 'Snyder cut' of Justice League. Instead, the 1980s-set movie ends with a tribute to the 1970s, and a woman who means a lot to Wonder Woman fans.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984
Earlier in the HBO Max movie, Diana (played by Gal Gadot) tells the story of Asteria, the golden-armored warrior who is a hero to all Themyscirans. In the history of Diana's people, the Amazons all contributed part of their armor to give to Asteria to make her the ultimate golden armor, complete with wings that act as shields. Asteria then used this to fight all of the enemies of the Amazons as they evacuated their home and migrated to Themyscira.
According to the legend, all that was found of Asteria was that armor, so she was believed to have sacrificed herself for her people. Her armor then took on mythical status among her people as something only the most true and honest warriors could wear. In Wonder Woman 1984, of course, Diana is able to wear it to take on Barbara/Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) after Diana proves herself by renouncing the wish that brought Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) back to life.
The story of Astoria is itself a neat little Easter egg for fans of the Wonder Woman comics. Diana told a similar story in the 2018 run of Justice League comics, while in 1998 comic Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl Vol 1, Asteria was presented as a sort of alternate universe Wonder Woman.
The WW84 credits scene mixes these two ideas about Asteria together. We see a dark-haired woman save people by protecting them from a falling pole. She then turns around and we learn that Asteria survived her ordeal and has been saving people for "a long time". If she is alive, then quite why she never returned to Themyscira is unclear – perhaps because she realised that the legend of her noble sacrifice was more important to the survival of the Amazon than her actually being there.
This potential plot hole, however, is not really worth thinking about, as the reveal that Asteria is still alive is mostly an excuse for a cameo that is sure to delight long-term Wonder Woman fans. The character is played by none other than Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman herself in a series of adventures from 1975 to 1979.
This is not the first time that DC has paid tribute to Carter. She cameoed in an episode of Superman prequel Smallville in 2007, and plays the president in another female superhero TV show, The CW's Supergirl.
Fans hoping that Lynda Carter's appearance as Asteria sets her up as Diana's ally for a potential Wonder Woman 3 are likely to be disappointed. Carter's wink to camera at the end of the credits scene seems to suggest this is more like a fun standalone scene than a hint at any sequel.
However, though it is unlikely that Carter will be returning to the WW-verse in a wider capacity, the credits scene could give fans an idea of what to expect from Wonder Woman 3. It is possible that while we will not see this version of Asteria again, the movie may be hinting that they are taking a hint from that 1998 one-shot and may introduce parallel world version of Wonder Woman in the future. As Marvel is soon set to open up its multiverse with the addition of multiple Peter Parkers in Spider-Man 3, this could be our first hint that DC will follow suit.
The scene also introduces another intriguing prospect that might pay out in future movies: That Diana is not the only Themysciran to have left the all-woman island paradise. A fun idea for the third movie may see Diana taking on a warrior from her home who has gone rogue. This would be a great way to widen the world of the Amazons after the fun scene set there that opened WW84 – and mght finally mean that the franchise gives Robin Wright something to do.
Fans waiting for the end of the credits to see if there is an after-credits scene that sets up a sequel are also going to be let down. The Asteria scene is the last one in the film, and there is no second scene for fans who wait until the end of the credits – or skip ahead to the end of the streaming version.
Wonder Woman 1984 is streaming now on HBO Max.
