Following the massive success of Wonder Woman last year, new reports have suggested that Kristen Wiig is the frontrunner to play the villain, Cheetah, in the upcoming sequel slated for release next year.

The ‘Saturday Night Live’ alumnus, 44, is thought to be in talks with Warner Bros. to appear as the villainess in the DC superhero sequel, according to reports from Deadline on Wednesday evening (February 28th).

If the parties reach a deal, it will mean Wiig will face off against the returning Gal Gadot as the titular character / Diana Prince in Wonder Woman 2, which is slated to be released on November 1st, 2019.

Kristen WiigKristen Wiig could be in line to play the villain in 'Wonder Woman's sequel

Wiig’s character Cheetah, in DC Comics lore, is the alter ego of British anthropologist Barbara Ann Minerva, and a feline-type adversary with strength and speed to match Wonder Woman’s. The new film will reportedly be set in the 1980s against the backdrop of the Cold War.

Released in the summer 2017, the first Wonder Woman film, directed by Patty Jenkins – who has also been confirmed to come back for the sequel – was one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of the year, and gave a huge shot in the arm to the formerly disparaged DC cinematic universe.

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It’s unclear whether Wiig has always been the frontrunner for the role, as previous reports earlier this year suggested that La La Land star Emma Stone had initially been offered the part but had turned it down. Wiig, despite a clutch of appearances in respected dramas, has usually been pigeonholed as a comedy actress.

Shooting for the film is set to begin in the summer of 2018, according to producer Charles Roven, with the working title for the project currently subtitled ‘Magic Hour’.

“We're in what I would call development of the screenplay,” Roven told Comicbook.com last month. “We finally, I think, have a good story to tell. We're hoping to start shooting the movie sometime this summer, and hope to have it out by the end of '19.”

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