Wonder Woman: Bloodlines

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is a 2019 American direct-to-video animated superhero film focusing on the superheroine Wonder Woman and is the 14th installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe and the 36th overall film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. The film was released on digital platforms on October 5, 2019, and it was released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on October 22, 2019. It focuses on Wonder Woman facing enemies of the past who come together and form Villainy Inc.

Plot
In 2014, Princess Diana of Themyscira - home island of the warrior race the Amazons - rescues US pilot Captain Steve Trevor from a Parademon attack. Diana treats Steve with a purple healing way before he is taken prisoner by Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta due to Diana breaking the island’s “no men law”. However, Diana breaks Steve out and sees an omen about an otherworldly invasion fucilled by his arrival. When Hippolyta demands Steve’s re-incarnation, Diana defies her before leaving to protect man’s world, prompting Hippolyta to disown her own daughter. Diana and Steve arrive in Washington, D.C. where Etta Candy takes them to geologist Julia Kapatelis. While there, Diana meets Julia’s daughter Vanessa, who grows jealous of Diana when her mother spends more time with Diana than her. Diana decides to stay in man’s world and protecting it as the superheroine “Wonder Woman”. Five years later, Julia requests help from Diana and Steve to find Vanessa, who has stolen an artifact from her superior Veronica Cale and plans on trading it with the villainous Doctor Poison. Diana, Steve and Julia intervene but are confronted by Poison’s soldiers led by Giganta, who injects herself with an enchantment serum, but is ultimately defeated. During the battle however, Julia is fatally shot in a crossfire as Poison escapes with the artifact. Vanessa blames Diana for her mother’s death before fleeing.

While visiting her mother’s grave, Vanessa is recruited by Doctor Poison and Doctor Cyber, who transform Vanessa into Silver Swan. Meanwhile, Diana and Steve locate Poison in Qurac. The two travel there using a stealth jet provided by Etta. Upon arrival, they are attacked by Silver who Diana realises is Vanessa and is defeated while Poison escapes with a prototype bioweapon. Diana and Steve take the unconscious Vanessa to Cale Pharmaceuticals. While there, Diana believes the purple healing ray can reverse Vanessa’s transformation, but doesn’t remember the location of Themyscira due to a mystic block. Cale reveals to Diana and Steve she has been researching the island as a side project and informs Diana that she must drink water from a fountain located at the temple of Pasiphaë to regain her knowledge of the location.

While in the temple, Diana and Steve are suddenly confronted by Cheetah, who is now part of a team of supervillains called Villainy Inc. led by Poison and Cyber, who has also injected herself with a serum similar to Giganta’s. Steve and Etta enter the maze in the temple where they encounter and defeat a Minotaur. Diana subdues Cheetah and reunites with Steve and Etta. They arrive at the Fountain as Diana drinks it’s water and finally regains her memory. Diana also realised the Minotaur was enchanted to defend the fountain, which Diana destroys. After doing so, the Minotaur is set free and is named “Ferdinand” by Steve.

The trio make it back to Cale Pharmaceuticals where they pinpoint Themyscira’s location. However, they are interrupted by Cyber who reveals her true plans are to profit off the Amazon’s technology. Cyber reactivates Vanessa to attack Diana while the others escape. Eventually, Diana defeats Vanessa and manages to let her friends escape as Vanessa flees. With the new information they received, Diana and Steve return to Themyscira only to find it already under siege of Villany Inc. Vanessa distracts the heroes as Cyber and Poison unleash their endgame weapon Medusa. Medusa refuses to be under command of Cyber so she destroys Cyber’s automation. Poison offers Medusa the enhancement serum but fails so Medusa takes the serum herself. Medusa grows more power and begins killing several Amazonians. Diana heads to confront Medusa. Diana uses Medusa’s venom to blind herself, allowing her to meet Medusa head-on. Despite Diana’s efforts, Medusa batters her on the ground but is saved by Vanessa, who is inspired by Diana’s self sacrifice. Together, Diana and Vanessa kill Medusa. In the aftermath, Vanessa and Hippolyta reconciles with Diana. Hippolyta announces Diana as the champion of Themyscira and decides to allow the public in Themyscira.

In a mid-credits scene, Diana returns to Washington where she confronts Cale. Cale reveals herself to be the true mastermind behind Villainy Inc. and swears her revenge on Diana after foiling her plans.

Production
In July 2018, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines was announced at San Diego Comic-Con.

In July 2019, it was announced that Rosario Dawson would be reprising her role as Wonder Woman from previous films, and would be joined by Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Trevor, Marie Avgeropoulos as Vanessa Kapatelis/Silver Swan, Kimberly Brooks as Cheetah and Giganta, Michael Dorn as Ferdinand, Ray Chase as the lead bandit, Mozhan Marnò as Doctor Cyber, Adrienne C. Moore as Etta Candy, Courtenay Taylor as Doctor Poison, Nia Vardalos as Julia Kapatelis, and Constance Zimmer as Veronica Cale.

Release
The film was released as a World Premiere film during New York Comic Con on October 5, 2019, and also released on digital platforms on the same day, and it was released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on October 22, 2019. It is also available on the DC Universe streaming service.

Critical reception
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.08/10. IGN gave the film a rating of 6.5/10.

Sales
The film earned $1,700,504 from domestic Blu-ray sales.