“Wonder Woman 1984” Actor Pedro Pascal Reveals His Inspiration For Classic Villain

Wonder Woman 1984 is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year and recently released its final trailer ahead of a Christmas release. The original film from 2017 scored rave reviews and is the most critically lauded entry from the DCEU thus far. Early word is that the 80s set sequel will be just as much of a hit. Reviewers are commenting that the movie is earnest and optimistic, but not over the top. It’s also being said that it will feature some of the best superhero action yet seen from a DC film.

Now that the release is closer, the people behind the production are speaking out. Pedro Pascal, the titular star of Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian, will be playing one of the projects villains, Maxwell Lord and his portrayal is reported to be a standout in the Wonder Woman sequel. Speaking with Uproxx about his role, he commented on Nicolas Cage actually being a big inspiration for his over-the-top depiction:

Yeah, I don’t relate any of the hamming it up to Nicolas Cage. I at one point in the conversation I was talking about what an incredible influence he was on me as an actor, which is true. And, now, so much so that I would use him as a sort of point of reference to anchor myself, to achieve something in a scene specifically with Wonder Woman, And maybe about a half-hour later in that conversation, I was self-deprecating and accusing myself of “shmacting” and hamming it up, and the two do not go together.

Cage is famously known for his eccentric acting technique and it’s interesting to hear that Pascal, who’s no stranger to bad guys, previously playing a triple-crossing agent in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, open up about his motivation. It’s clear that he’s trying to do more than emulate the hammy method of Cage, but rather utilize it in a way that will honor the legacy of one of Hollywood’s most prolific leading men.

Wonder Woman 1984 will release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on December 25th. But what do you think? Will the film live up to the hype? Will Pascal revolutionize how supervillains are played? Sound off in the comments and follow us on Twitter @FilmIronic to never miss a thing!