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Emma Corrin has revealed their initial disappointment at a request made by the director of Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
The new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film sees Ryan Reynolds return to his role as the foul-mouthed, anti-hero Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman reprise his role as Wolverine.
Corrin, who goes by they/them pronouns, plays bald supervillain Cassandra Nova in the movie – and while they were thrilled at being offered the role, the actor shared their initial disappointment about the character’s portrayal in a new interview with The Guardian.
Upon meeting the film’s director Shawn Levy, Corrin reports that his first words to them were: “OK, bear with me, but we want you not to play her as a villain.”
The star, who is best known for their celebrated portrayal of Princess Diana in popular Netflix series, The Crown, said they weren’t too impressed with this request.
“I was, like, what? Are you serious? After all that?” they said.
However, the actor went on to expand on Levy’s vision as the director clarified that he wanted Corrin’s supervillain to be unpredictable.
Corrin revealed that Levy would demand they “change the weather” while directing them to switch emotions instantly, so that they were not a caricature of evil.
Inspirations for Cassandra Nova’s villain included Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka in the classic movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor as well as Christoph Waltz’s role as a Nazi officer in Querntin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
Corrin, who is currently promoting the superhero movie, recently opened up about being bullied over their androgynous appearance at school.
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“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,” they told GQ magazine, adding that the experience forced them to conform to gender expectations. “I grew out my hair and rolled up my skirt.”
Reynolds first played Deadpool in the Jackman-led X-Men spin-off film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was poorly received by superhero fans upon its release in 2009.
Fortunately, Reynolds got another chance to play the character in an immensely successful standalone Deadpool film that was aimed at adults and released to acclaim in 2016.
A blockbuster sequel followed in 2018, and now the forthcoming movie will see both characters introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Deadpool & Wolverine will be released on 26 July.
