Movies

Emma Corrin needed a Marvel 'debrief' after being cast in Deadpool 3: 'It's an absolute mind f---'

Before landing the role of Deadpool’s latest antagonist, Corrin had only seen Spider-Man and Black Panther.

Published on August 1, 2023 12:17PM EDT

Emma Corrin is a Marvel newbie in more ways than one.

The Crown star, who is set to join "the Deadpool family" as a villain in Deadpool 3, revealed during the press tour for their upcoming FX limited series A Murder at the End of the World that they knew very little about the saga prior to landing the role.

"Hands up, I'm not a Marvel person," Corrin, who uses they/them pronouns, told Empire Magazine in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. "I've watched Spider-Man and Black Panther. I was like, 'Look, you're gonna have to debrief me into this.'"

When the Merc with the Mouth next appears on screen, he will officially make his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — an ever-expanding multiverse that currently includes 32 movies and at least nine individual series (more if you count those that predate Disney+). Understandably, Corrin didn't quite have the time to cram them all in before arriving on set.

"It's such an intricate world," they explained. "There's so much to it, it's an absolute mind f---. All the language and the Easter eggs, and this person is related to that person who did this, and this person came back and this person's dead… it's amazing."

Emma Corrin; Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. David Fisher/Shutterstock; Everett Collection

Though Corrin wasn't deep in the fandom prior to landing the Deadpool 3 role, they quickly understood the staying power of the million dollar franchise.

"I really understand why it means as much as it does to so many people," they said. "It's a phenomenon, and I feel really lucky to be part of it. Especially Deadpool, because I love the fact that it's self-aware, and critical of its own inner-workings."

Very little has been revealed about the Deadpool sequel, which paused production days after unveiling a first look at Hugh Jackman donning his classic yellow Wolverine suit with Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson at his side. Corrin's character remains under wraps, but they have since confirmed their role as an antagonist.

"I feel really excited to play a villain," Corrin said. "I haven't done that, and it's an itch I want to scratch."

Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy reached out to Corrin for the part after seeing their performance in a stage production of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, but, in typical Marvel fashion, offered very few details about the movie.

"I'd heard about the project but, classic Marvel, they couldn't tell me anything about it," Corrin recalled. "Absolutely nothing. Zilch. So I met him being like, 'I don't know what this is about.'"

Corrin first turned heads as a young Princess Diana on Netflix's The Crown, and has continued their period piece success with My Policeman — starring opposite Harry Styles — and an adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover. Along with Deadpool 3, Corrin will next be seen in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu.

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