“Deadpool & Wolverine” is right around the corner, and the two titular mutants have quite a fight ahead of them. According to promotional material, they’ll have to battle the likes of the Time Variance Authority and the X-Men villain who’s dividing Marvel movie fans, Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), during their timeline-hopping adventure, but that’s not all. They’ll also have to contend with the immensely powerful Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), as previously “spoiled” by the United States government. She’s the twin sister of Professor Charles Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart) with broad telepathic abilities. Corrin hasn’t sought to squander their opportunity to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe either, requesting Marvel Studios that they thought would help them, only for it to ultimately be rejected.
Corrin participated in an unconventional interview with British GQ, where they went undercover online to answer the web’s burning questions about them. When asked if they underwent any physical training for the Nova role, Corrin revealed that they tried to get a personal trainer, but Marvel Studios shot the idea down. “I did ask if I could have a personal trainer and they said no. They said I don’t have to undergo any physical training. I was so ready to undergo a huge transformation but they were like, ‘That’s absolutely not required of you. Please stand down.’ I tried,” they explained. This is a bit surprising to hear given Marvel Studios’ track record with its actors’ physical fitness, but at the same time, it makes sense for Corrin’s character.
It’s no secret that throughout the many years the MCU has stood atop pop culture, hero and villain actors alike have gotten absolutely shredded for their respective roles. After all, they are playing comic book characters, so the expectation has been that they’d go out of their way to make their bodies as comic book-like as possible, even if it means damaging themselves or setting unrealistic body standards for moviegoers. Therefore, one might find it odd that Marvel Studios didn’t have Emma Corrin go through intense physical training for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” On the other hand, Cassandra Nova doesn’t necessarily need to appear like Thor (Chris Hemsworth) or Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, who got ripped for the third “Deadpool” film).
In the pages of Marvel Comics, Nova isn’t a very physically imposing villain. In fact, seeing as she was effectively stillborn and left to develop on her own in a sewer, she is quite spindly and gaunt. To accurately depict the character, Corrin would actually have to go out of their way to lose a concerning amount of weight, which could pose a major health risk, to say the least. To make up for her smaller frame, the Nova of Marvel Comics relies on her telepathic abilities to wreak havoc, which is likely what Corrin’s take will do as well. Therefore, in portraying more of a psychological threat than a physical one, they didn’t need extreme dieting and copious workouts to play Nova. Marvel fans can witness Emma Corrin’s take on Cassandra Nova when “Deadpool & Wolverine” premieres on July 26.
Emma Corrin revealed in a video interview with British GQ that they requested a personal trainer in order to transform into the villainous Cassandra Nova for Marvel’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” but the studio rejected their proposal. It turns out undergoing a physical transformation was not what the Marvel team was envisioning for Corrin’s MCU debut.
“This is funny because I did ask if I could have a personal trainer and they said no,” Corrin said. “They said I don’t have to undergo any physical training. I was so ready to undergo a huge transformation but they were like, ‘That’s absolutely not required of you. Please stand down.’ I tried.”
Comic book readers know Cassandra as the evil twin sister of Charles Xavier. Just how the character factors into the “Deadpool and Wolverine” storyline has yet to be revealed. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Corrin said that Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy told them that Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” villain Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) was top of mind when the duo envisioned their “Deadpool and Wolverine” villain.
“He’s so disarmingly polite and nice and unaffected, and it’s really creepy,” Corrin said. “It’s all the more sinister because he doesn’t need to do anything.”
Corrin added, “Ryan and Shawn pitched this idea, which I was totally on board with: ‘We want this villain to not be a villain in the sense that you expect them to be. We want you to be so endeared by her, so charmed by her, and just when you think that maybe she’s totally seen into your soul and you are going to be best friends for life, you’re dead.’”
Levy previously told Empire magazine that he courted Corrin to star in the film after he saw them perform in a stage production of “Orlando” last year. Levy set up a meeting with Corrin, but they had no idea what it was for, given Marvel’s ultra-secrecy. Corrin told Levy that they’re absolutely baffled by the MCU and would need a crash course on all things Marvel if they were to take on the role.
“Hands up, I’m not a Marvel person,” Corrin said. “I’ve watched ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Black Panther.’ I was like, ‘Look, you’re gonna have to debrief me into this.’ It’s such an intricate world. There’s so much to it, it’s an absolute mindfuck. All the language and the Easter eggs, and this person is related to that person who did this, and this person came back and this person’s dead… it’s amazing.”
“I really understand why it means as much as it does to so many people,” Corrin added. “It’s a phenomenon, and I feel really lucky to be part of it. Especially ‘Deadpool,’ because I love the fact that it’s self-aware, and critical of its own inner-workings.”
“Deadpool and Wolverine” opens in theaters July 26. Watch Corrin’s full interview with British GQ in the video below.
Source: British GQ, Entertainment Weekly, Empire Magazine
