Deadpool & Wolverine Villain Revealed (And Their Origin Story Is Nothing Short Of Nuts)

Warning: This article contains potential spoilers for "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Not for the first time, I've been thinking about how much more stuff we know about upcoming movies these days than we ever did at any previous point in time. Leaked set photos, film scores and soundtracks revealing major plot developments (if you remember the track titled "Qui-Gon's Noble End" ruining the Jedi's death in "The Phantom Menace" well ahead of time, congratulations: you're eligible for a senior citizen discount), and actors accidentally spilling some classified details in interviews are hardly anything new, mind you, but younger movie fans may not fully appreciate just how much information we have at our fingertips in this modern age. This is all prompted by rumors and reports about the upcoming "Deadpool & Wolverine" movie that all cite a pretty unusual source: the U.S. Copyright Office, of all things.

Obviously, read no further if you want to avoid all possible spoilers in advance and preserve the experience for opening weekend.

Still with me? Alright, today's topic of discussion comes courtesy of IGN, which reports that some eagle-eyed fans with entirely too much time on their hands noticed an interesting little nugget buried within a copyright claim filed on behalf of "Deadpool & Wolverine." In addition to (seemingly) confirming previous reporting that Jennifer Garner would reprise her role as Elektra from the infamous spin-off film, the description of the movie also appears to finally shed some light on the mysterious villain played by non-binary actor Emma Corrin. Brace yourselves, folks. Apparently, the character will be none other than X-Men antagonist Cassandra Nova. Comic readers know full well just how wild of a character she is, but mainstream audiences and casual fans ought to prepare themselves for some serious weirdness to come.

Public records are a wonderful thing. Concerned citizens can look up exactly where to protest and send angry voicemails to our more disagreeable politicians, neo-noir detectives can follow trails of corruption embedded in the highest levels of publicly-trading companies from their paperwork alone, and comic book fans can apparently sniff out spoilers well ahead of when major studios meant to release them. What a time to be alive. For "Deadpool" fans, that last bit is the most relevant. After one intriguing shot of a bald-headed person in the first "Deadpool & Wolverine" trailer (see above) had fans scurrying for explanations, we just might know exactly who that is. Although officially announced by star Ryan Reynolds himself, Emma Corrin's casting has been kept under wraps for the past year. If they do indeed turn out to be Cassandra Nova and the Shawn Levy-directed threequel decides to preserve the character's comic book origins, well, things in the multiverse-focused film are about to get very nuts, indeed.

In the comics, Cassandra is actually the twin sister of X-Men leader Charles Xavier. (That's a simplification of a very weird origin, admittedly, but otherwise, we'd be here all day.) While both were still in the womb, the gifted Charles detected evil coursing through the, uh, embryotic sludge of Cassandra and — get this — decided to use his powers to kill his own unborn sister's fetus like some comic-booky application of the infamous "Would you kill baby Hitler?" thought experiment. Obviously, that attempt didn't quite turn out as planned and Cassandra went on to piece herself together one cell at a time on a sewer wall, slowly nursing a grudge to take vengeance upon her brother.

That time may finally arrive in "Deadpool & Wolverine," which premieres in theaters on July 26, 2024.