Wonder Woman 1984 post-credits may reveal an expanding DC Multiverse

Wonder Woman takes flight in Wonder Woman 1984, but the movie's surprise post-credits scene — which was left off press screeners, making it especially big for fans — hints that something big may happen in another sequel: A team-up of two Wonder Women.

While it's not exactly the Multiverse at play, Wonder Woman 1984 has a surprise cameo from a Wonder Woman of a previous era. And her presence teases something exciting for a potential third Wonder Woman movie.

Here's who the special cameo is in the secret post-credits of Wonder Woman 1984, and what it hints about Diana's next chapter.

Warning: Spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984 ahead.

Wonder Woman 1984 post-credits, explained

In Wonder Woman 1984, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) comes out of hiding to save the '80s from a dangerous new threat, oil tycoon Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and archaeologist turned half-wildcat villain Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). In the climax of the movie, Wonder Woman wears a powerful Golden Eagle Armor, one that belonged to a legendary Amazonian named Asteria. The movie's prologue of the Amazon Games are held in her honor.

After the credits roll, Asteria appears, and she is none other than Wonder Woman television star Lynda Carter. After saving a baby from a falling pillar, she is thanked by the baby's mother. When the mother asks Asteria about herself, she simply says, "I've been doing this all this time."

Who is Asteria? Meet the Amazonian "of the sky"

As Wonder Woman 1984 explains, Asteria was a legendary Amazonian who wore a special armor that Diana (somehow) discovers on Earth prior to the events of the movie. When the plot heats up, Diana dons Asteria's armor in order to combat Cheetah and stop Maxwell Lord.

While Asteria is mostly a mythical figure to Diana, the post-credits of Wonder Woman 1984 reveals she is, in fact, a real Amazonian, who is also hiding on Earth. And it's fitting that this "Wonder Woman" who fought evil before Diana is played by Lynda Carter, who famously starred in the classic Wonder Woman TV series that aired from 1975 to 1979. You can stream the entire series until 2021 on the subscription streaming app DC Universe.

It should be said that Asteria is a pretty new character, and mostly an invention for the movie. In comics, there have only been minor characters with the name "Asteria." In a 1998 one-shot comic, Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl, a member of the Justice Society from a parallel Earth was named "Asteria," and seemed to be that universe's answer to Wonder Woman.

Another Asteria appeared much later in 2018. In Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth Special #1 (by James Tynion IV and Howard Porter) and Justice League #11 (by Scott Snyder and Francis Manapul), a two-headed metallic bird named Asteria is introduced to the story. In Justice League #11, Diana tells Aquaman the name "Asteria" belonged to an ancient Amazonian "who fought against the gods. Her name means, 'of the sky.'"

It is extremely likely that Tynion and Snyder were in conversation with Geoff Johns, who worked on much of the DCEU including the script for Wonder Woman 1984, and included this bit of mythology in their comics in anticipation of the movie. It really makes a lot of sense that Asteria, an ancient Amazonian with eagle armor, would be named "of the sky."

How Asteria may join Wonder Woman 3

There is little we know about a third Wonder Woman movie at the moment. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is jetting off to helm a new Star Wars movie, Rogue Squadron, which may pack her schedule for the next few years. So it's anyone's guess what the plans for the next Wonder Woman.

But on a purely speculative level, the post-credits scene of Wonder Woman 1984 hints Asteria may have her first, real adventure in the DC Universe in Wonder Woman 3. Whether this means a titanic team-up between badass Amazonians or a showdown between generations is yet to be known.

What about the DC Multiverse?

An unlikely, however possible wrinkle to Asteria is that she could be Wonder Woman from her own universe. Based on what we know about upcoming DC movies like The Flash, the Multiverse of DC is a real thing. In the 2019-2020 TV crossover special, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," it was revealed that DC movies like Batman (1989), Superman Returns (2006), and Justice League (2017) co-exist alongside TV shows like Smallville, Titans, Doom Patrol, and the entire Arrowverse.

And The Flash, due in theaters 2022, is set to blow the Multiverse wide open as Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton reprise their own versions of Batman in the movie.

Could Wonder Woman 3 also involve the Multiverse? Lynda Carter's Asteria could theoretically be her actual Wonder Woman TV role, one who inhabits another universe and somehow becomes a legend in the DCEU.

We are, of course, just spitballing possibilities. Asteria could be TV's Wonder Woman, or she could be her own thing, and casting Lynda Carter is just paying homage to superhero media of yesteryear. Either way, the future of DC is no less exciting.

Wonder Woman 1984 is out now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

Update 12/26: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Diana met Asteria in the post-credits scene. Because the scene was excluded from press screenings of the movie, we relied on external sources that proved to be unreliable. The article has been updated. We regret the error.