Adapting a comic book into a movie is easier said than done and there are always going to be several changes. Wonder Woman 1984 was no exception either, bringing aspects that were faithful to the source material while having enough of its own identity to make changes.
All in all, the movie might just have split the things that were similar to the comics and the stuff it excluded. This would have been for better or for worse for those who liked or disliked the movie, but it’s still interesting to see just what these things are and can bring the movie into renewed context.
Incorporated: Amazon Olympics
While the storyline behind the Amazon Olympics wasn’t included, the Olympics themselves were shown as they are in the comics. The movie used it to highlight how Diana could be selfish at times as the young girl cheated to nearly win.
The comic book had featured a similar tradition for the women of Themyscira as an event they used to choose the person who was up for a task. The tasks at hand and the outline of the Olympics were incorporated here.
Changed: Maxwell Lord's Personality
Wonder Woman 1984 chose to change the norm by placing Maxwell Lord in a sympathetic light, as opposed to the megalomaniac he is in the comics. The comic book version didn’t have money problems and instead used his wealth to become a leader for the Justice League International, using them for his dastardly schemes.
The movie added in Max’s son as a way of humanizing him to the audience, in order to set up the finale where Max ended up renouncing his wish and redeeming himself in some way.
Incorporated: Wonder Woman's Flying Ability
The first movie had overlooked this vital part of Wonder Woman’s character, as Diana could only make long leaps as opposed to being able to fly. The comic book version has traditionally been shown with this ability, making it high time it was incorporated in the DCEU.
With Wonder Woman being able to fly, she also completed similar feats to that of her comic book counterpart, using this flight during her battles and empowering herself when in conflict. Not to mention even bringing the general stance Wonder Woman has when she flies.
Changed: The Cheetah's Powers
In the comics, the Cheetah does have powers through magical means but these weren’t granted through the Dreamstone. Instead, the source of her abilities was the plant god Urzkartaga, who imparted her powers to Barbara Ann Minerva.
The movie turned her abilities into an evil version of Wonder Woman instead, as she got the powers by wishing she could be just like Diana. This meant the Cheetah was never the creature she’s supposed to be in the comics, only a corruption of Wonder Woman’s abilities.
Incorporated: Wonder Woman Using The Diana Prince Civilian Identity
Those who took notice of Diana’s outfits in the movie saw how she was more in tune with her civilian identity this time around. That’s the incorporation of the traits from the comic book Wonder Woman, who settled in as Diana Prince after her initial adventures.
Diana Prince isn’t her actual name, as it’s just Diana while the Prince surname is just part of her civilian identity. The first movie had only shown her use it as an alias, while Wonder Woman 1984 adapted the civilian identity aspect from the comics.
Changed: Wonder Woman's Confrontation With Maxwell Lord
The finale of the movie was turned into one of the saddest things for Wonder Woman, as she renounced her wish and then appealed to Max Lord to renounce his own as well. Diana specifically chose not to attack Lord but to reach out to him.
This was a heavy change from the comics where Wonder Woman confronted Maxwell Lord in a similar situation of him broadcasting the event, only to snap his neck when he refused to see reason. This killing ended up getting Wonder Woman’s Justice League’s teammates to lose their trust in her.
Incorporated: Wonder Woman's Absolute Love For Steve Trevor
Wonder Woman and Steve being so head over heels in love with each other was something of a step back for the DCEU as it promoted too much codependency in couples. However, this was a rather accurate depiction of how she was portrayed in the comics during the ‘50s and ‘60s.
During the stories of those times, Wonder Woman wasn’t seen as much in action as she fantasized about being with Steve and getting married to him. Being completely in love to the point where it became the dominant part of her characterization was similar to what happened in Wonder Woman 1984.
Changed: Cheetah's Motivations To Fight Wonder Woman
The Cheetah was also turned into a more sympathetic character in the movie, as she didn’t harbor any ill will toward Wonder Woman until she thought her own position was threatened. This was a departure from the comics where her sole motivation was to take the superhero down.
Barbara Ann Minerva’s initial issue with Wonder Woman was to steal the Lasso of Truth, as she felt that it was her right to add it to her collection of historical items. Later on, she simply despised Wonder Woman due to repeatedly being bested by her, none of which was shown in the movie.
Incorporated: Maxwell Lord's Power Of Influencing People
The manner in which he acquired the power to influence people was changed from the comic books to the movie but the essential ability was retained. Max Lord could make others do what he wanted in this interpretation as well, which spiraled out of control.
The comics showed him using this trick to cause mayhem, which was similar in the adaptation. He ended up in the broadcasting confrontation due to his powers of manipulation, and both these situations happened in the movie and the comics.
Changed: Wonder Woman Having An Invisible Plane
There are a bunch of things people find nonsensical about Wonder Woman. Having an invisible plan might just be one of these things. However, the movie subverted this fact into providing Diana with the ability to turn things invisible.
This was essentially an homage to the invisible plane scenario from the comics, although an actual invisible jet exclusive to Diana never showed up. That’s probably for the best since explaining how the plane works would have used too much screentime.
