Emma Corrin took inspiration from a few different villains while preparing for their take on Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine.
While speaking with British GQ before the Deadpool sequel’s release, the actor opened up about their research for the role and what originally drew them to the X-Men supervillain, who is also Charles Xavier’s sister.
For the role, they dove into the world of cinema’s classic antagonists, including Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, who they consider “one of the best villains of all time,” and Christoph Waltz’s Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds.
“There’s something extravagant in Gene Wilder’s performance,” Corrin told the publication. “And it’s a similar energy that Christoph Waltz has in Inglourious Basterds because he’s wearing a uniform so he can sit there and drink a glass of milk and pretend he’s a fucking fairy godmother.”
In conjunction with their profile, Corrin answered questions for GQ‘s “Actually Me” segment on YouTube, in which celebrities answer questions about their roles online. The first question Corrin fielded in the video was what drew them to the role of Cassandra, which is so different from their previous ones, like Princess Diana in The Crown and Marion Taylor in My Policemen.
“I think probably because it is a major contrast to my normal roles, and I always wanted to play a villain. And then Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman,” they said. “Ryan improvs the entire time. And it was kind of like a masterclass in that kind of comedy and that kind of genre of film, which I hadn’t really done before. Yeah, what’s not to love?”
Later in the video, Corrin shared that they asked Marvel for a personal trainer before filming began on Deadpool 3 because they were “so ready to undergo like a huge transformation,” but the studio turned them down.
“They said I don’t have to undergo any physical training,” the Murder at the End of the World star said, “They were like, ‘That’s absolutely not required of you. Please stand down.’ I tried.”
Elsewhere in the profile, Corrin acknowledged that it’s a tough time to star in a Marvel film, considering superhero fatigue has really started to settle in. However, Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine seems poised to break through that, with box office tracking putting its domestic opening somewhere in the $160 million to $165 million range.
“There’s a lot of pressure on it, but I think that it’s the right one at the right time,” Corrin said. “Because it’s Deadpool, and Deadpool has always broken the mold, right? That’s why Ryan is a literal genius.”
Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26.
