Heartwarming / Wonder Woman 1984

All spoilers on this page are left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!

Nothing is more important to Maxwell Lord than family.

Wonder Woman 1984 still manages to be as wholesome as its predecessor, with a long-awaited reunion, a strong father-son bond and a meaningful message on the wonders of truth.

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• Antiope preventing Diana from winning the gauntlet by taking a shortcut. It may not have made her look good in her niece's eyes, but it was likely done out of compassion, as the spectators could all see that Diana's shortcut meant she failed to hit a checkpoint. Forcing the girl to lose was ultimately more dignified than letting her reach the finish line only to be greeted with jeering.
  • And Hippolyta's reassurance afterward, "The world is not yet ready for all that you will do."
• Alastair's Establishing Character Moment; he's waiting for his father for custody weekend, and looks mildly excited about the fun they will have, showing they have a good relationship. He refuses to leave his dad when an investor starts berating Maxwell, looking like an Extremely Protective Child. When Maxwell hugs his son for reassurance, Alastair silently responds with affection.
  • Not to mention Maxwell's overjoyed reaction to seeing Alistair show up in his office.
• Barbara's lunch date with Diana. She tried awkwardly asking her out; Diana admits she's busy but would like to go later. They then talk about the ones they loved, and it's clear that Barbara at the least admires her new friend and at most has a huge crush on her given her big smile.
• When Diana rescues Barbara from a drunk, she holds her protectively, asking if she's okay. Barbara says she is, looking at her with wonder. It makes what happens later much sadder, as the wishes take their toll on the two women.
• Wonder Woman saves the world not through being an action hero, but by being the diplomat she's always envisioned as. Her message to the world about giving up their wishes for the greater good has far more impact on the film's climax than her fight with Cheetah, which as far as can be told didn't resolve anything between the former friends. With 2020 being the year in which selfishness, irresponsibility and brutality permeated society while the intellectuals and diplomats were the ones who managed to achieve the most results, it's just the right message that audiences needed to hear.
  Wonder Woman: I’ve never wanted anything more. But he’s gone and that’s the truth. And everything has a price. One I’m not willing to pay. Not anymore. This world was a beautiful place just as it was and you cannot have it all. You can only have the truth. And the truth is enough.The truth is beautiful. So look at this world and look at what your wish is costing it. You must be the hero. Only you can save the day. Renounce your wish if you want to save this world.
  Maxwell Lord: Why would I? When it’s finally my turn? The world belongs to me! You can’t stop me. No one can.
  Wonder Woman: I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to everyone else. Because you’re not the only one who has suffered. Who wants more. Who wants them back. Who doesn’t want to be afraid anymore. Or alone. Or frightened. Or powerless. ‘Cause you’re not the only one who imagined a world where everything was different. Better. Finally. A world where they were loved and seen and appreciated. Finally. But what is it costing you? Do you see the truth?
  • Taking the chronology into account, it wouldn't be too out there to imagine Diana's plea to help her save the world may have inspired a certain orphaned boy to become a hero. Considering a reprise of "Beautiful Lie" is playing during this scene...
  • While a thirdquel would determine whether or not Barbara remains a villain, it's a relief to see that she's alive and recovered from the fight with Diana, and listening to Diana's speech with interest.
• Diana reuniting with Steve. Although the fact that Steve is possessing the body of another man against his will dampens it quite a lot.
  • Once he realizes that Diana's wish for his revival came at the cost of her superpowers, Steve shows no hesitation about sacrificing himself for the greater good.
  • While Steve's host body isn't treated with much dignity, Steve does suggest Diana could always try a relationship with the guy on the assumption that he's probably a good guy.
  • She doesn't get with him, but she does encounter him at the end of the film, complimenting him on an outfit Steve tried on earlier and both mocked for being gaudy. It turns out the host guy gets teased about the outfit a lot, and the compliment sincerely cheers him up.
• Max renouncing his wish, preventing World War III in the process, and reuniting and making amends with his son. It's implied he will be a better person and start a new life.
  • There are implications that Diana gave Max a ride to where Alastair is, so that he can reunite with him and take his second chance.
  • Alistair assuages all of Max's fears after he admits to being a liar and a loser by assuring him that despite everything he had done, he still unconditionally loves his father.
• At the end, there's the unknown handsome man politely wishing Diana a happy holiday. While it's undercut by him being possessed by Steve throughout most of the film and that he has no idea what happened to him once the possession went away, it shows that he's a perfectly nice guy.
• The Stinger shows that despite the Amazons believing that Asteria sacrificed herself long ago, she's still alive and helping people, and she saves a child from a collapsing structure. The child's mother reaches out to thank her... and Asteria reveals that she is none other than Lynda Carter, who gives a smiling wink to the camera.