This interview has been edited for clarity.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is nowhere near running out of villains to bring to life in its movies, but while the big bad for the much-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine makes her live-action debut from the comics, she’s also a legacy character of sorts, tied to the live-action films from 20th Century Fox.
Cassandra Nova is the twin sister of Charles Xavier, and seemingly died after failing to strangle her brother while both were still in the womb. Played by Emma Corrin, the breakout star known for their (the actor uses they/them pronouns) transformative performance in Netflix’s The Crown (2016 – 2023) as the young Diana, Princess of Wales, the only similarities she has with the founder of the X-Men is that both characters are bald, and the powerful psychic mutant, armed with telekinetic and telepathic powers that rival those of her estranged twin brother, Professor X, brings her blend of terror as the leader of a group of mutants in the Void.
With acting legends Sir Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy having previously embodied Professor X on screen, Corrin faces a unique challenge as they must not only embody a formidable villain but also honour the legacy of those who came before.
Corrin’s dedication to understanding the character’s internal world is evident in their eagerness to learn from previous portrayals of telepathic mutants, and her first ask, should she ever be in the same room, or mind, with the other two thespians.
“Help, give me tips,” Corrin laughed. “Those [Stewart and McAvoy] are two incredible performances. I went back and watched a bit of those films in preparation to play Cassandra. I was really interested in how those actors portrayed someone whose powers are telepathic and so internal.”
In an exclusive interview with Geek Culture, Corrin, along with Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Matthew Macfadyen (Succession, Pride & Prejudice), delved into the depths of their characters in Marvel’s latest cinematic instalment, revealing layers of intrigue and potential that could set Cassandra Nova up as the next major threat in the MCU.
To truly understand Cassandra Nova’s motivations, one must shed light on her twisted origin story, which started in the New X-Men #114 (July 2001) issue. In the comics, Cassandra and Charles Xavier are twins, born with extraordinary psychic powers. However, even in the womb, Charles sensed a darkness in his sister, a malevolent force that threatened to consume him, so in a desperate act of self-preservation after being strangled, he psychically attacked Cassandra and seemingly killing her before birth.
Yet, Cassandra survived, her consciousness clinging to life and eventually finding a new host body. Driven by a thirst for revenge and a desire to prove her superiority, she became a formidable adversary to her brother and the X-Men. Their shared psychic connection, once a bond of sibling love, has been twisted into a weapon of hatred and destruction.
This complex and tragic backstory is a driving force behind Cassandra Nova’s actions in Deadpool & Wolverine. Her resentment towards her brother, coupled with her immense power and twisted morality, make her a formidable threat to both the heroes and the fabric of reality itself.
“I think Cassandra is very complex, which is one of the things that drew me to want to play this character. She is a villain. But to play her, I had to put that label to the side, and very much play her as the hero of her own storyline, like she’s completely convinced of the things that she’s doing and why she’s doing them,” Corrin explained.
The actor further elaborated on the character’s depth, saying, “But also, there’s a real vulnerability in her because of what happened with her brother. There are definite layers to her, which I find really interesting. And there’s definitely ways that I could empathise with her.”
But it’s not just Corrin who believes in Cassandra Nova’s potential for villainy. Macfadyen, who plays the Time Variance Authority (TVA) agent Mr. Paradox in the film, revealed a surprising affinity for Cassandra Nova.
When asked which character he’d want Mr. Paradox to team up with, Macfadyen clearly had Nova in his head, in more ways than one. “I think he would really like to work with Cassandra Nova, probably because he’s most frightened of her, and she’s a proper, sort of omnipotent baddie and sort of unkillable. So he would probably sidle up to her.”
Mr. Paradox is yet another antagonist who operates in Deadpool & Wolverine with a chilling premise – speeding up the death of the timeline in the Earth-10005 universe using the ominous Time Ripper, a machine which can mercy kill timelines. Driven by a thirst for power and recognition, Mr. Paradox sees this mission as his ticket to leadership within the TVA. To stop Mr. Paradox and save his Earth’s timeline, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, IF, Free Guy) embarks on a mission with an even more reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, X-Men, The Greatest Showman) in the film.
The possibility of an intriguing dynamic between Cassandra Nova and Mr. Paradox in Deadpool & Wolverine is just one facet of a universe rich with potential epic showdowns. Corrin expressed enthusiasm for Cassandra Nova’s power clashes with other iconic Marvel characters known for their strategic minds, like Loki and Doctor Strange.
“I would like to see Cassandra [Nova] face off against Loki and Doctor Strange,” Corrin noted, “I think they’re both just as unpredictable and have quite incredible minds. But Cassandra [Nova] would win.”
Little do they know that we’d pay good money to see those showdowns, too. Take notes, Marvel.
Deadpool & Wolverine is in cinemas now.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
