Could Justice League member Batman, but there's still a lot of prospective foes to stand alongside Cheetah in Wonder Woman 2. Pascal certainly has the acting chops to portray one of Diana's biggest male adversaries, Doctor Psycho, while many fans have cited Vandal Savage as a perfect fit. However, given the already placed villain of the film, there's another potential character: Sebastian Ballesteros, the male Cheetah!This Page: Who Is Sebastian Ballesteros, The Male Cheetah?
Who is Sebastian Ballesteros?
Kristen Wiig is expected to be Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva, an archaeologist and a friend of Diana Prince transformed into a superpowered feline warrior by an ancient ritual in the legendary lost city of the Urzkartagan tribe. Minerva has been portrayed as both insane and a tragic figure in the comics, but Diana never gives up on helping Barbara despite their battles.
However, there have been others to become the Cheetah in the comics, and one of them is a man named Sebastian Ballesteros. Introduced in 1999, Ballesteros is an Argentine businessman who was an agent of one of Wonder Woman's other enemies, the sorceress Circe. He coveted the power of the Cheetah, so to usurp the role as the supernatural feline villain convinced Urzkartaga (the plant god who empowered Minerva) that a male Cheetah would be superior because of his female counterpart's many failures. Urzkartaga agreed, stripped Barbara of her powers, and granted them to Ballesteros. Sebastian became the first man to be called Cheetah but, of course, when he faced Wonder Woman, he met the same failure.
Minerva didn't take Ballesteros stealing her powers lying down and battled him for the power of the Cheetah. To even the odds, Minerva took a page out of Ballesteros' book by stealing the powers of one of the Furies from Greek mythology; eventually, Barbara killed Ballesteros and became the Cheetah once more. The character hasn't appeared in print since, with only a fan-winking reference in the New 52 era, but could the arc be pulled on for Wonder Woman 2?
Why Ballesteros Makes Sense For Wonder Woman 2
With a release over a year-and-a-half away, naturally, concrete information is light on Wonder Woman 2. What is known is that it takes place in the 1980s, with the Cold War thriller setting taking Diana to both the United States and the Soviet Union. That said, seeing as the film will also involve the Cheetah, and that Barbara Minerva is a world-traveled archaeologist, it should also delve into the exotic locales her power comes from, which means venturing into the jungles of Africa.
Related: Why Kristen Wiig Is Perfect For Cheetah
Between that mystical power and the more grounded conflict between the US and Russia, Wonder Woman 2 has plenty of conflict before even getting to Steve Trevor. However, Sebastian Ballesteros could really deepen the villain dynamic, creating a more complex scenario than Wonder Woman's hunt for Ares in the original. For one, Ballesteros nicely fits into the tense international setting as an opportunist out for his own gain who becomes seduced by supernatural forces. Another Cheetah specifically, though, not only doubles Wonder Woman's peril but it deepens the film's primary antagonist, introducing gender variety and providing conflict aside from Diana.
That final aspect cannot be understated. Traditionally in the comics, Minerva and Diana are friends, despite the scientist's penchant for transforming into a cat-creature who tries to kill her, and the film will hopefully carry over this aspect of their relationship. Diana's comionate nature never lets her forget that the Cheetah is a manifestation of evil magic; that beneath the fur is a person she cares about and must save. Ballesteros, whether he's a villain outright or more sympathetic, would become a compelling second antagonist for both Wonder Woman and Minerva; it extends the story, and ultimately gives Wonder Woman a harder task to overcome.
Pascal Is A Great Fit For A Male Cheetah
If Jenkins is going with Ballesteros, she's cast the perfect Sebastian with Pascal. He broke big with his unforgettable performance as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, all but stealing Season 4, especially in his epic battle against The Mountain Gregor Clegane, where the Red Viper acrobatically dismantled the imposing knight before his own cockiness led to his shocking and gruesome death. Along with his turn as DEA agent Javier Peña in three seasons of Netflix's Narcos, Pascal was also a standout as Whiskey, the deadly lasso twirling Statesman in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
That filmography says it all. There's an innate likeability and range that few can match, and a feral charisma and physical prowess that makes Pascal an ideal fit to be the male incarnation of the Cheetah. Of course, he can channel those skills into any role, but considering his heritage (the Chilean-American could easily play an Argentinian) Ballesteros is a top pick.
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Only time will tell if Pascal is playing male Cheetah, or even a villain at all. What we can say with some degree of certainty, though, is that Wonder Woman 2 is assembling quite the cast.
