To start things off, let’s send out the infamous SPOILER warning. This article contains some major SPOILERS for DC’s latest film, Wonder Woman. If you have not seen the film yet, bookmark this page and come back following your viewing. If you have seen the film, feel free to continue on.
Wonder Woman has been in theaters for under a week. But it has already earned plenty of praise and is considered by many to be the best entry into the DCEU to date. To date, it marks the fourth installment in the DC Entertainment Universe, leading up to Justice League later this year.
Gal Gadot has a ton to do with all of the rave reviews. She has officially solidified herself as a true Hollywood star with this performance. In the title role, Gadot showed she can more than handle the action scenes involved in such a film. All while showing plenty of heart, emotion and comedic chops along the way. But she was not the film’s only star.
Chris Pine was just as perfect in the role of Steve Trevor as Gadot was as Diana. Pine and Gadot shared a wonderful chemistry in this film. The character of Steve Trevor possessed a lovable nature about him, as he was innocent to a certain extent, while also pushing the boundaries when it was necessary.
However, throughout the entire film, I had an uneasy feeling that things would not end too well for the man who also plays Captain Kirk in the Star Trek series. Despite being a big name, this was a period piece. As a result, there was no guarantee that he would be returning to the universe in the future. Then as the movie moved on, it became clear Steve would sacrifice himself for the betterment of everyone else.
And sure enough, that is exactly what happened. As Wonder Woman was busy battling Ares, there was still a plane full of Doctor Poison’s gas. Steve, a pilot, realized this was his time to be a hero in his own right. So he was able to climb aboard the plane, working his way into the pilot’s seat. He would fly the plane as high into the sky as he could, then aim his gun at the containers of gas.
The next thing we see is a giant explosion in the sky. So it is pretty safe to assume that most people assumed the worst for poor Chris Pine.
So, it is safe to assume that is the last we have seen of Pine in the DCEU, correct? This film takes place during WWI, meaning it is virtually 100 years ago. Then factor in the place he was flying blew to smithereens. So there is simply no way he could possibly still be alive in 2017. Even if he somehow survived the explosion, he would not look like Chris Pine in 100 years!
Despite all of this, there is this feeling in my gut that tells me they will find a way to bring him back. A studio that is making a ton of films in a shared universe does not sign someone with the star power like Pine to use him in just one film. That simply does not happen very often in today’s Hollywood.
So that begs the question, how could he possibly show up in future installments within the universe?
For starters, I need to mention, this is a comic book universe. In other words, stranger things have happened. These types of movies and shows bring people back from the dead all the time. Heck, Steve Rogers (Captain America) was kept on ice for years to be brought to current day looking like Chris Evans.
Now, let’s go through some of the ideas that I have come across that do have some merit to them. First, we did not actually see him die. We saw him point the gun, yes. We also saw the explosion in the sky. But what happened in between? It is entirely possible that he could not pull the trigger inside the plane. Instead, he grabbed a parachute, jumped from the plane, and once he was far enough away, pulled the trigger.
This is one that I am not totally buying into. His entire arc throughout the film was leading up to him making a heroic sacrifice. So to have him chicken out at the last minute seems like a disservice to the character. Also, if he jumped before shooting, the odds of him hitting something to make the explosion would be nearly impossible.
But for argument’s sake, let’s say he did survive the whole explosion. How would he get to 2017 looking like he did during WWI? Well, it just so happens that those waters he was bathing in earlier in the film (you know, when he had to hide his “above average” manhood from Diana), were actually the fountain of youth! Now this one I can buy into. The only problem is, he would need to have survived the explosion. So I still am having a hard time buying into this theory.
The following, however, is something I can firmly get behind. That is because it involves Pine returning, just not as Steve. The following would allow for Steve Trevor to actually have died in the plane, but still let Pine play a role in the DCEU. It involved Pine playing the role of Hal Jordan, also known as the Green Lantern.
Say what?
The premise of this theory is quite simple. Jordan would be a relative of Steve. My best guess would be that Steve had a sister, who married a guy with the last name of Jordan. They would go on to have a son, who would go on to have a son named Hal. And Hal would just so happen to look like his grandma’s brother!
Yeah it is a stretch I know. But there is some reason to buy into it. For starters, Hal, like Steve, is an expert pilot. Those flying genes could have easily made their way down over the generations.
Next, let’s factor in those rumors that were flying around before it was announced that Pine had taken the role of Steve in WonderWoman. The word on the street was that Pine was indeed the top pick to play Hal Jordan. It would be a pretty good way to throw people off the idea by also casting the star as another character. Honestly, it’s pure genius. If you want to keep a casting a secret, why not cast the actor in two roles?
Green Lantern is poised for a crucial role in this universe. The fact that he appeared in the opening credits of Wonder Woman like the other key Justice League members has people buzzing that Lantern will be appearing in Justice League. How awesome would it be to see Pine show up at the end of the film wearing the ring. It would blow people’s minds. Especially Diana’s!
One or multiple of these theories could be correct. Or they could all be totally wrong. But my gut is telling me that DC is not going to let Pine walk away after one film. They can’t even really use him in flashbacks either, as we already got to see the whole story between Diana and Steve.
What do you think? Is Chris Pine done with the DCEU? Or will they find a way to bring him back? Tell us what you think in the comments!