Deadpool and Wolverine’s Cassandra Nova is “not what you’d expect from a villain”, says Emma Corrin

Deadpool and Wolverine’s Cassandra Nova is “not what you’d expect from a villain”, says actor Emma Corrin. 

Ahead of the release of the eagerly anticipated Marvel movie, The Crown star tells GamesRadar+ and Inside Total Film how director Shawn Levy and Wade Wilson himself Ryan Reynolds explained “early on” that they wanted Cassandra to be “low-key” – and not appear outwardly like a baddie.

“They wanted [audiences] to never be sure what you’re gonna get,” Corrin, who previously played Princess Diana in the aforementioned Netflix show and hacker Darby Hart in The OA creators’ mystery series A Murder at the End of the World, adds. 

“With her main power being telepathy, she has such a strong internal world, which I guess was something I was familiar with,” they note. “So, for me, it was just about taking that and planting it in a whole new setting. That presented a whole new set of challenges, and with all the gestures, she has such a specific physicality; it was all so interesting to try and link it all together.”

Also starring Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, and Matthew Macfadyen, Deadpool and Wolverine sees Cassandra Nova’s face off against the Merc with a Mouth and everyone’s favorite mutant, as they team-up to save Wade’s friends and family from a TVA-related disaster. Since the trailers so far have been refreshingly secretive in the way of plot (and cameos), it’s unclear what Cassandra will be up to in the flick at this stage. Corrin previously stated that the antagonist’s motivations are deeply personal and stem from her complicated “relationship” with her brother, Charles Xavier AKA Professor X, though.

“Ryan came in with the reference of Christoph Waltz’s character Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, which is a fantastic film and a fantastic performance. There’s that stillness and calm to that evil, which makes it really insidious,” says Corrin. “I ended up looking at Gene Wilder in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory too, because, even though he’s not known as a villain, I think there’s something quite off-kilter, quite uncanny, and sinister to the way he invites all these people here and then sits back and watches it all unfold with a smile on his face. He’s a puppet-master.”

Deadpool and Wolverine lands in UK cinemas on July 25, and a day later in the US. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as our guide to how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Listen out for our chat with Corrin on the upcoming episode of the Inside Total Film podcast, which is available on Apple, Audioboom, Spotify, and more.