Deadpool and Wolverine star Emma Corrin has teased how the Marvel movie villain's introduction completely reshapes the titular heroes' dynamic.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar at the Marvel Phase 5 film's UK junket, Corrin – who uses they/them pronouns – revealed how her character, the incredibly powerful mutant known as Cassandra Nova, flips the pair's feisty relationship on its head. Indeed, such is the threat posed by Nova to the Merc With a Mouth and his adamantium-clawed partner, it forces the foul-mouthed bickering duo to set their differences aside to tackle a much bigger multiversal danger – one they're initially ill-equipped to take on.
She only uses violence as a last resort
Emma Corrin, Deadpool 3 actor
"You see those two in combat with each other and how that dynamic works," Corrin says, "and then they encounter Cassandra and, suddenly, they have no idea where to start with this person. With her mind powers, Cassandra is a more internal a cerebral foe. She's always metaphorically leaning back compared to our heroes, who are always on the front foot, engaging in close-quarters combat, and primarily using violence as their only solution to every problem.
"But Cassandra is very unpredictable – she's always thinking five steps ahead. She only uses violence as a last resort so, when she's had enough, you'll never see her draw a knife or use a gun because, before you know it, you'll be dead. You'll be ripped apart from the inside out, or she'll phase her hand through your head to squish your brain. It's really interesting when she switches, which makes it even harder for Deadpool and Wolverine to work out what she's going to do. So, they have to become a team and that was a really fun dynamic to explore."
'We're creating a really specific character for this universe'
Diehard Marvel comic book readers will know all about Cassandra Nova from her exploits from the comic giant's X-Men literature, but Deadpool and Wolverine surprisingly marks her debut in any project outside of the source material. Apart from the occasional rumor, which turned out to be false, that Nova would appear in the first season of X-Men 97 on Disney Plus, Nova is yet to feature in an animated or live-action production.
So, how did Corrin go about bringing the 'twin sister' – she's actually a parasitic lifeform known as a mummadrai, but let's not overcomplicate things – of the X-Men's founder Charles Xavier/Professor X to life in an established franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)? And, without spoiling too much about her iteration ahead of the film's release, how did she simultaneously honor the character's legacy while injecting her with fresh ideas?
"[I had] much more creativity and freedom than I first expected," they admitted. "I asked Shawn [Levy, the film's director] early on if I should delve into the comics, but he said 'There's a wealth of resources online, so dive in as much as you want but, really, we're creating a very specific character for this universe [the MCU]'.
"Obviously, I wanted to be faithful to the important elements, including her origin story, powers, and the feel and vibe she projects. But I was also given a lot of freedom to bring excellent stuff – I think so, anyway! – to the character, which I think fans will really get a kick out of."
We'll have more exclusive Deadpool and Wolverine coverage coming your way later this week. In the meantime, find out what we thought of the film's first act in our spoiler-free Deadpool and Wolverine preview piece.
Deadpool and Wolverine arrives in theaters on July 25 (internationally) and July 26 (US).
