Emma Corrin shares initial disappointment over Deadpool & Wolverine role

Emma Corrin recently shared their initial disappointment with a specific request made by the director of the upcoming Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine. The film features Ryan Reynolds returning as the foul-mouthed anti-hero Deadpool and Hugh Jackman reprising his iconic role as Wolverine.

Corrin, who uses they/them pronouns, is set to portray the bald supervillain Cassandra Nova in the movie. Although excited about the role, Corrin revealed during an interview with The Guardian that the director, Shawn Levy, had an unexpected vision for their character.

When Corrin first met Levy, his initial words were, “OK, bear with me, but we want you not to play her as a villain.” This direction left Corrin puzzled and unimpressed. “I was, like, what? Are you serious? After all that?” the actor recalled.

Levy then elaborated on his vision, explaining that he wanted the supervillain’s portrayal to be unpredictable. He directed Corrin to “change the weather” in their performance, meaning they were to switch emotions on a dime, avoiding a stereotypical depiction of evil. This direction intended to make the character more nuanced and less of a caricature.

For the role of Cassandra Nova, inspirations included Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Christoph Waltz’s portrayal of a Nazi officer in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. These eclectic influences aimed to shape a multifaceted villain character.

Emma Corrin, who is also known for their acclaimed portrayal of Princess Diana in the Netflix series The Crown, opened up about their personal challenges while promoting the superhero movie. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, they discussed being bullied at school due to their androgynous appearance.

“I went to the dance, and someone thought I was a boy and asked me to dance, and it became a big joke in my class,” Corrin shared, mentioning that this experience pressured them to conform to gender expectations by growing out their hair and rolling up their skirt.

Ryan Reynolds first graced the screen as Deadpool in the Jackman-led X-Men spin-off film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was not well-received by superhero enthusiasts when it was released in 2009. Fortunately, Reynolds had another opportunity to take on the character in a standalone Deadpool film in 2016, which was aimed at adults and received widespread acclaim.

This success led to a blockbuster sequel in 2018. The upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie will mark the introduction of both characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a highly anticipated event for fans of the franchise.

The film is scheduled for release on 26 July, promising to bring a blend of irreverent humor, action, and complex character portrayals that continue to push the boundaries of superhero narratives.

Source: The Guardian, GQ