Emma Corrin recalls Hugh Jackman's "really moving" advice
Emma Corrin is no stranger to daunting roles, having broken through playing Princess Diana in The Crown, and now they're taking on a classic X-Men villain for their MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine.
In the eagerly-awaited movie, Corrin is playing Cassandra Nova, who is known to comic fans as the twin sister of Charles Xavier. In typical Marvel fashion though, we don't really know too much about Cassandra's role in Deadpool 3 other than, at some point, she crosses paths with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).
Talking to Digital Spy, director and co-writer Shawn Levy said that it was Corrin's "singularity" that led to their casting as Cassandra Nova.
"Cassandra's never been represented in any show or any movie but her legacy is mythic. It's Charles Xavier's twin and she's an omega-level mutant, which means her powers are immense. But we didn't want a villain that would be traditional," he explained.
"Her power is not based on brute force. She's not Thanos-scale, but she is charmingly psychotic and unpredictably charismatic. Emma has this shapeshifter quality that we've seen as Princess Di that I then saw in Emma's performance in Orlando."
Ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine's release, Digital Spy sat down with Emma Corrin to talk about their approach to the role, Hugh Jackman's advice and their most memorable on-set experience.
You've been asked a lot about how this is a different role for you, and it is as your first villainous role, but was there a similarity to a previous project you've done?
Emma Corrin: It's always quite funny when a role is very much labeled in a certain way and this word villain [for Cassandra], it's quite hard to approach a character that way.
I think in a way I found that similar with Diana because there's so much known about her, there's so much assumption that comes with even her name, and so I had to really find my hook into that to make it accessible for myself and cut through all the stuff that's out there.
I found that with Cassandra as well and what really did it was exploring her origin story and especially the relationship with her brother. As ridiculous as it is and fantastical of him killing her in the womb and her regrowing herself and rebuilding herself after that, that feeling of abandonment that she felt by him.
Now in this film, how that comes across and how her behaviour is retaliation against that or a cry for help, attention and a lack of identity, and all those things I managed to draw in. I think all of those things point to a vulnerability and I'm always really interested, in all the characters I play, of toying with this idea of vulnerability and strength.
In the comics, Cassandra is so unpredictable as a villain, so does that make her the perfect fit for a Deadpool movie?
I think so. It's that thing of never knowing which way the wind's gonna blow, and also her feeling of being convinced that she's not the villain. She's so convinced that she's the hero of her own storyline, so convinced in everything she's doing. But it's a lot of fun to play, to toy on that edge of complete unpredictability.
You're not just working opposite Ryan Reynolds, but you've also got Hugh Jackman who's been Wolverine for nearly 25 years. Was there any particular advice he gave you about entering this world?
He did say something to me that I found really moving. He's been playing this role for so many years and it really threw him into a spotlight he'd never had before.
We just had one of those conversations [about] no matter how much success you have or how many incredible roles you get, playing this thing that means so much to so many people, you still are so riddled with insecurity and anxiety about being able to do a good job.
I was so worried, I felt so much pressure going into it. Marvel fans hold everyone to such a high standard because these characters are so beloved, so he really put me at ease about that.
You filmed this largely on location with huge sets built, so was there a particular moment you remember where you were like, "Oh, I'm in a Deadpool movie"?
I didn't shoot against a single green screen. It was absolutely mindblowing. It really felt like we were in the world's greatest playground. The scene you see in the trailer of meeting Cassandra for the first time, if you get a proper introduction like that, like a Marvel introduction, it was so cool.
There was a ramp that went down to where the boys were, and I remember Shawn [Levy] saying, "Yes, on action, you'll just take a step and go down the ramp." And I was like, "I don't know how I'm gonna get down the ramp because it's vertical." And he said, "Well, no, it turns into steps." I was like, "What?" and this guy just clicked a button and the ramp went into steps.
It was all functional and I was like, "Okay, now I've arrived. This is Marvel now."
Finally, what are you hoping fans get from this movie when it's released this week?
You will get everything you love about Deadpool in absolute bucketfuls because Ryan can't stop being Ryan and Deadpool can't stop being Deadpool, but also with the added element of Wolverine and their chemistry, which is undeniable.
Their journey through this film is one of friendship. I think that is the prevailing sense of the film that people will be left with. I think it's really moving, and I don't think people will be expecting that.
I hope it will also open up to audiences who haven't yet connected with the Deadpool films for whatever reason, if they think it's just not for them or if it hasn't come across their path yet, I really do feel like no matter what films you're into, friendship is a universal language. It's something we all connect with and this is a film about connection.
Deadpool & Wolverine is released in UK cinemas on July 25 and in US cinemas on July 26.
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