“Playing Cassandra Nova Xavier was like being on a playground”

Emma Corrin bursts into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Cassandra Nova, Professor X's sister, in Deadpool & Wolverine.

If many know Emma Corrin for her role as Diana Spencer in the fourth season of The Crown – which earned her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series – it looks like the actress is about to make a huge splash on the big screen.

Certainly, there was Miss Revolution in 2020, and My Policeman And Lady Chatterley's Lover in 2022. But in December there will be the Nosferatu of Robert Eggersand before that, the “exuberant” (a term from Emma Corrin) Deadpool & Wolverinein theaters from July 23.

The opportunity for Corrin to embark on an exceptional promotional tour in the company of Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine) and Shawn Levythe director of this third part. On July 12, they were in London for a European press conference, which allowed Emma Corrin to say more about her experience on the set of this crazy and above all hybrid cinematographic object, half-Fox, half-Disney.

In the film, Corrin plays Cassandra Nova Xavierthe twin sister of Charles Xavierwho uses his telekinetic powers to sow terror and discord. A role obtained after an audition like no other, recalls the artist:

“I had a peeling chemical while I was performing in a play. Never do that. My whole face burned and started peeling. My team told me about this encounter, which I was delighted about, but at the same time I thought to myself that this couldn't be possible, it was like I had had a terrible accident. Afterwards, I typed 'Cassandra Xavier' in Google, and I was quickly relieved.”

But beyond her unique appearance, the construction of the character of the big baddie was the subject of a real collaboration between the scriptwriters (Levy and Reynolds in the lead) and her interpreter:

“It was a playground. Shawn and Ryan brought a lot of elements and created an incredible space with a clear idea of ​​what they wanted and needed for this character to be part of this big story of friendship. But at the same time, I was given the freedom to add elements that I discovered along the way.”

A vision of the character that Emma Corrin was able to clarify thanks to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Starting in July 2023, after a few weeks of filming, and before Cassandra joins the party, the production of Deadpool 3 was halted until November, when negotiations between unions and studios ended. A break during which Shawn Levy had a first model of the film put together, an hour of footage that allowed everything to be put into perspective.

“We all watched itsays Corrin. It was crazy, because I hadn't started shooting yet. In the edit, there were cards that said 'Cassandra here.' I could see what the movie was supposed to look like – obviously, we don't shoot in chronological order, so sometimes it's kind of confusing… But here I could literally see what they wanted her to be.”

In addition to this step back, Emma Corrin relied on the costumes and the physical metamorphosis that this character demanded of her:

“This aspect is always useful, it's the last layer that allows a total transformation. I wore a fake skull. On top of that, they put prosthetics on my fingers. I couldn't do anything with my two hands, not even go to the toilet by myself. A little lesson in humility… Having this kind of extension on the hands was incredible, it really changes the way you carry your arms, which is really useful because all of Cassandra's power comes through her mind, but also through her gestures.”

Never seen in cinema, Cassandra Xavier was created for comics by Grant Morrison And Frank Quitley in 2001. Rival of Charles Xavier in uterothis one makes her disappear before she is even born, which does not prevent her from self-generating a body from her own DNA. Emma Corrin was very serious in taking this genealogy into account, which explains Cassandra's psychological (and almost Freudian) motivations against the X-Men in the comics, and against Deadpool and Wolverine in the film. When asked what it feels like to play Professor Xavier's sister, Emma Corrin answers:

“It was a lot of pressure, I guess. I reviewed the performances of Patrick Stewart And James McAvoybut I still don't know if it was a good thing or if it made me even more nervous. The essence of my interpretation had to lie in this question: how to show on screen an essentially mental, disembodied power? My technique was to pretend to solve an algebra problem. (laughs). Beyond that, it was a great experience, and I felt very honored to be a part of this universe.”

All the more so since Cassandra is a very complex character: “I think she is totally the heroine of her own story, analyzes his interpreter. She doesn't see herself as the villain of the story. She does exactly what she wants when she wants.”.

“I want to be Cassandra myself”reacted Ryan Reynolds, whose character, Wade Wilson, has nothing to envy anyone when it comes to impulsiveness.

Emma Corrin as Cassandra Xavier, coming soon: Deadpool & Wolverine is released in theaters in France on July 24. Here is the latest crazy trailer for this third installment: