Did this character die in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie?

Question

If you've not yet seen the 2017 Wonder Woman movie. Please leave this page as it will reveal a major plot point.

I'm referring to Steve Trevor's self-sacrificing efforts which result in a major explosion in which we assume Steve died piloting the plane but where the actual explosion is obscured by cloud and hidden from view.

Is there any evidence that I missed that would conclude that this character is;

• A. definitely dead
• B. definitely alive
• C. presumed dead by the viewer and other characters but with an option for film makers to reveal his miraculous survival in a sequel.

Answer 1

C.

The relationship between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor has had several iterations in the comics, so let's go through your three options.

A: he's definitely dead. There is no canon reason to think this. The death of Steve Trevor has never been an "accepted" part of Wonder Woman's story (unlike, say, Spider-Man with the death of Uncle Ben, or Batman with the deaths of his parents).

B: he's definitely alive. There is no canon reason to think he's currently alive. The airplane explosion has never been shown before (to the best of my knowledge), so there is no precedent for him coming back from it.

This leaves C: he's presumed dead, but will probably come back. There is some precedent for this: In the Justice League three-episode arc "The Savage Time," the League goes back in time to stop Vandal Savage's machinations and Steve Trevor winds up rescued from a mission that would have otherwise killed him. Diana and a much older Steve reconnect after the League returns to the present time.

Since Justice League (2017) will feature the Flash, it's possible they'll do something similar and use speed-force-time-travel shenanigans to bring Steve back into the fold.

Answer 2

Well I mean without going to any form of "official/unofficial" sources, Yes.

He was on a plane with a load of gas that would kill him, 17000+ feet up (5000+ metres), without a parachute and either land or water below him, either way from that height they're effectively the same.

The explosion from the plane alone looked big enough to decimate him. Followed by the impact from 17000 feet of free-fall. He's dead.

Now on to the novelisation. This is as canon as you want it to be. But here it goes.

With numbed fingers he took his pistol from its holster and pointed it at the bombs. He chuckled to himself. He wasn’t afraid. But he was wistful. He wanted to show Diana the beautiful parts of this world. To share it with her. Newspapers and breakfasts. It was not to be.
It was not to be.
Still, he couldn’t stop smiling when he thought of her, and of what he was doing, and what this would mean for the world: Peace.
The world was going gray. He was getting loopy. He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger and as he did he said…

This seems to suggest he shot at bombs, igniting and killing him most likely. The way he acted seems to suggest that he was about to die.

She exploded, a half-God bent on vengeance, and in one savage push, she freed herself from the tire tread wrapped around her.

[..]

Then the image of Steve’s face filled her mind. Their last moment together...

This seems to further suggest he's dead and gone forever.

RIP Steve Rogers Trevor

That being said, it's a comic book film, they'll bring back whoever they want.