Deadpool & Wolverine's Emma Corrin Took Unexpected Inspiration For The Movie's Villain

More than 15 years into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we've seen a sizable number of villains that have run the gamut from street-level bad guys like Kingpin to universe-threatening, god-like beings such as Thanos. Next up, we'll see "The Crown" star Emma Corrin put their stamp on the MCU's roster of baddies as Cassandra Nova, a character who has quite a wild origin story in Marvel Comics history. So, where did Corrin turn for inspiration to craft their villain? "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," of all places.

Corrin was recently the subject of a cover story for GQ. During the conversation, it was revealed that the actor took inspiration from a couple of cinematic classics. They referred to Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka as "one of the best villains of all time," right alongside Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds." Both influenced their take on Cassandra Nova. Both are great performances, to be certain, but one is a more overt villain while the other is a villain by interpretation. Speaking further, Corrin had this to say about it:

"There's something extravagant in Gene Wilder's performance. 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 f*****g fairy godmother."

For what it's worth, this isn't the first time an actor behind an MCU villain has invoked Wilder's Willy Wonka. Jonathan Majors cited that performance as he was crafting his take on Kang for his appearance in "Loki." So, even though he may not be a conventional bad guy, there's something about that portrayal of Willy Wonka that comes off as more than a little evil.

In fairness, 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is relatively horrific, and Willy is the orchestrator of those horrors. He lets horrible things happen to people in search of an heir for his chocolate empire. That said, he does provide ample warning to the kids and parents, they just choose not to heed those warnings. More of a chaotic good, perhaps? That's a matter of perspective, it seems. In any event, that performance does run in stark contrast to Timothee Chalamet in "Wonka," for example.

Speaking more broadly about the film, Corrin addressed the challenge of appearing in a Marvel film at a time when the superhero genre appears to be on the decline. However, having Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine and, more importantly, the genius of Ryan Reynolds makes this a different situation, as they see it.

"There's a lot of pressure on it, but I think that it's the right one at the right time. Because it's Deadpool, and Deadpool has always broken the mold, right? That's why Ryan [Reynolds] is a literal genius."

Corrin also revealed that director Shawn Levy shot the film on actual sets as opposed to overdoing it with green screen. The actor called it the "biggest, best playground in the world," before adding, "When the genre has been incredibly safe, and at the moment, it's on the rocks, people come in and blow it out of the water again."

The cast for the film also includes Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells penned the screenplay alongside Levy and Reynolds.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" hits theaters on July 26, 2024.