Deadpool And Wolverine's Villain Was Inspired By Willy Wonka

Casual comic book movie fans have probably never heard of Cassandra Nova before Deadpool and Wolverine. That's because this will be the first time that the X-Men villain has been featured in live-action. But when it came time to develop Cassandra's on-screen persona, Emma Corrin had an unconventional source of inspiration: Gene Wilder's portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

"There's something extravagant in Gene Wilder's performance," Corrin told GQ. "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***ing fairy godmother."

The comic book origin of Cassandra Nova is extremely convoluted, and it will probably be simplified in the film. But the short version is that Cassandra is the evil twin sister of Professor Charles Xavier who managed to enter the world despite not being born. She has all of his mental powers and none of his morals. According to Corrin, Cassandra may have a more charmingly sinister persona in the film than she did in the comics.

"Ryan [Reynolds] and Shawn [Levy] pitched this idea, which I was totally on board with," added Corrin while speaking with EW. "'We want this villain to not be a villain in the sense that you expect them to be. We want you to be so endeared by her, so charmed by her, and just when you think that maybe she's totally seen into your soul and you are going to be best friends for life, you're dead.'"

Deadpool and Wolverine will hit theaters on July 26.

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