Given his importance to the character’s history and root, it’s no surprise why there have been so many rumors about the God of War, Ares, in the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Based on our time on the set of the Warner Bros. film last year, and speaking with Patty Jenkins in the edit bay, we can confirm the character will be making an appearance. There is, however, more to him than a simple showdown with the title hero – the character is intertwined in the plot and at the core of Diana’s mission in the film.
Ares is first introduced in the film as Diana’s mother Hippolyta (played by Connie Nielsen in the film) reads her a bedtime story as a child, explaining the origin of the Amazons, which will all be depicted on screen for us naturally. She tells her daughter of the time before time existed, when Zeus ruled the Earth with the other gods and how they created man to be their companions, how they were meant to be good, kind, loving, and live in peace with the gods. Hippolyta continues and reveals Ares, the god of War and son of Zeus, became jealous of his father’s relationship with man and poisons the hearts and minds of the world, so they turn on each other and begin fighting.
As man continues to destroy each other, Ares takes it out on the other Gods and begins killing them in turn. Zeus looks to the remaining gods for aid, and with the help of Aphrodite (the god of love), they create the Amazons, who rise out of the sea as noble warriors to restore peace to the world and love to the heart of man. The plan works and Ares is subdued, briefly, but his rage is unstoppable and he enslaves the Amazons and continues his god-killing tour. To save time, and make plans for the future, Zeus holds off Ares and creates Themysciara, a hidden refuge for the Amazons to stay away from his son. In the story, and in the context of the film, Zeus offers the Amazons one last gift before Ares kills him, a weapon forged to kill the god of war, the only such weapon, a sword they’ve hidden in their armory called The God Killer.
Naturally, Diana does not sleep after hearing this story. In fact, it sticks with her for the rest of her life. When Steve Trevor arrives on the island and they lasso him up (with that trusty lasso of truth) and learn about “the War to end all wars,” Diana knows who is responsible. She pleads with her mother that they must do something to stop Ares as it’s their purpose, it’s why they were made, but she’s met with push backs. Diana takes it upon herself to do something though, she can’t watch it happen, and thus the story begins. You can read about what happens next in our recap of the footage we saw from the film by clicking here.
You may still have a question, like how you heard the rumor that David Thewlis was playing Ares. We can’t confirm that; we can confirm what we were told, which is that David Thewlis plays a man named Sir Patrick, one of the only members of the “War Council” which is arguing for peace. Could that provide for a twist in the film where the guy seeking peace is the God of War? Maybe, but there’s also the matter of General Ludendorff as played by Danny Huston. Could he be the god in disguise? Or is he being manipulated from the shadows? One thing we do know for sure: Diana will have a showdown with her enemy in the film.
