Warner Bros. has been more secretive than usual when it comes to the post-credits content of Wonder Woman 1984. The film’s short, mid-credits stinger was even omitted from the screening link sent out to critics. But now that the film in theaters abroad and in the U.S.—as well as streaming on HBO Max—the secret is out. So, what does it all mean? Well, if you really want to know, keep scrolling. 

Because DC’s filmed superhero universe is currently in a bit of flux, Wonder Woman 1984 wound up being beautifully unshackled from any larger Justice League narrative. So the footage that rolls midway through the film’s credits isn’t about setting up the future—it’s all about giving a nod to the past. After showing audiences Diana learning to love the world again in a snowy Washington D.C., Wonder Woman 1984’s camera follows a woman with big brunette hair and a dramatic blue woolen cape—the kind a stylish woman in the 80s would wear, not a superhero—through a much sunnier street. 

The change in weather should have been your first clue. After this woman casually saves some kids from a collapsing pole, she turns to the camera to reveal not Gal Gadot’s Diana but, rather, another familiar face from the Wonder Woman universe. That’s actress Lynda Carter, who played Diana on TV from  1975 to 1979. The credits explain that this is Asteria, the Amazonian with the shiny golden armor Diana spoke about earlier in the film. 

Wonder Woman 1984: The Deluxe Junior Novel, which came out earlier this summer, reveals a bit more information about this legendary warrior. As Diana tells it, Asteria stayed behind to fend off the attacks of men as her Amazonian sisters fled to Themyscira. She was ready to sacrifice herself so the other women could hide themselves away from the world. But evidently, she survived—and, much like Diana, has been living undercover in the human world. When Diana tells Asteria’s story to Steve Trevor, the film cheekily only reveals the Amazonian's eyes. That choice both saves the big Carter reveal for the end of the film and spares audiences any distracting de-aging CGI on Carter’s face. 

Like all Amazons, Asteria ages more slowly than the average human. But she’s been around for centuries by the time we catch up with her in 1984, so 69-year-old Carter is the perfect choice to play her. Asteria still enjoys superhuman strength, durability, and stamina, and the big splashy games that open Wonder Woman 1984 are dedicated to her memory. There’s also an enormous statue that stands in the center of their arena. At some point along the way, she lost her golden armor…or did she purposefully leave it somewhere Diana might find it? 

The character of Asteria doesn’t exactly appear in the comic books, though in 2018’s Justice League #11 by Scott Snyder and Francis Manapaul, Diana reveals she named a metal bird companion she’s been fighting with “Asteria” in honor of an “ancient sister who fought against the gods.” The woman herself, however, has never shown up on the page. 

Is this scene just a cameo and a nod to Carter’s legacy? Or is director Patty Jenkins setting up something more? Carter revealed a few years ago that Jenkins tried to make a Carter cameo happen in the first movie, but the timing didn’t work out. At the time, even Chris Pine was unwilling to confirm or deny her cameo in that first movie. Jenkins also consulted with Carter as soon as she first got the directing gig. 

When she accepted Glamour’s Woman of the Year award in 2017, Jenkins shared how much Carter meant to her:

Lynda Carter, oh my God, is the woman who when I was a child came to life and showed me a woman who is everything. So incredible and strong and fighting but also sweet and smiling and just and thoughtful and so great. I’m so honored to be here with you, Lynda, because you are both that on the screen and off and have inspired me my entire life.

Warner Bros. announced Sunday that it had greenlit a third installment of the Wonder Woman franchise. According to studio chief Toby Emmerich: “As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women—Gal and Patty—who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy.” Jenkins has said she would only return to direct if the third film opened in theaters, rather than on HBO Max. So there’s still plenty up in the air both for the DCEU and Diana for Jenkins to be planting concrete seeds for Asteria to feature in a third film. But by giving Carter a spotlight in the middle of the credits, Jenkins found a way to honor the legacy of someone she admires—and also open the door for a number of possible futures. 

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