When I meet Emma Corrin for an interview on a warm Sunday afternoon in downtown New York to discuss their role in Deadpool & Wolverine, I’m struck by how normal they are. The actor, sitting in a director’s chair across from me in typical press-junket style, is wearing a slouchy, oversize blazer and, most importantly, no shoes. They’ve kicked off their sleek, black pumps for our interview, which, as they later allude to, is not conducive to their footwear of choice. Stars, they’re just like us.
Relatability is at the core of most of Corrin’s work. While the actor first gained worldwide recognition portraying a young, naive Princess Diana on Netflix’s The Crown and later, as Harry Styles’ sympathetic lover in My Policeman, their latest anti-hero role is a complete-180. In the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Corrin plays Cassandra Nova, a morally-gray super-villain that, in their words, is the true hero of her own story.
Although long-time deep-cut X-Men fans have an idea of what to expect from the villainess, much about Corrin’s on-screen portrayal has been kept under tight lock and key, much to the delight of casual followers of the comics. Cassandra, who is widely considered one of the “deadliest villains of all time,” by the Marvel franchise, was a role that was practically Corrin’s from the start— frontrunner Ryan Reynolds admitted that the actor was the only person he and director Shawn Levy had in mind for the role. For Corrin, it was a massive honor, especially as they were given carte blanche to explore the character and make it their own.
We spoke with Corrin days before the worldwide release of Deadpool & Wolverine to chat about their introduction to the Marvel universe, working alongside a star-studded cast, and, of course, about the wildly imaginative press tour looks created with their longtime stylist and friend, Harry Lambert.
I’m curious about how you approached the role since you had so much flexibility [with Cassandra], as you’ve expressed in previous interviews.
It was really a collaboration between [director] Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds and I. They had a real idea of what they wanted her to be tonally for this film, and that was a very unpredictable villain who the audience wouldn’t really ever be able to work out or put their finger on, which left me a lot of room to play, which was really fun.
Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
(Image credit: Disney)
You said the word villain there, and I feel like so many people know you as an actor playing this sort of good character. How was it playing such a morally ambiguous character, and how was it stepping into that headspace?
It was really fun, actually. It was a real challenge. I think for me, personally, to be able to find the key to Cassandra and what makes her tick, I really had to put that label villain to the side. I think one of the great things about Cassandra is that she’s totally the hero of her own storyline. She’s totally convinced by what she’s doing, which is really fun to play with. I also wanted to find a vulnerability in her and ways for the audience to empathize with her. I think our origin story, which fans know and love so much of, being the evil sister of Charles Xavier. Their relationship, or lack of relationship, really went a long way in establishing a lot of the reasons why she does what she does.
Corrin wears Nina Ricci catsuit, Calzedonia tights, Cartier jewels.
(Image credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage via Getty Images)
Personally, I’m such a fan of your work with Harry Lambert, your stylist. Is there a story or cohesive vision you wanted to tell within your looks for this press tour? Does it relate to Cassandra mentally, crafting that vision?
There’s nothing that really ties it massively to Cassandra, but I think we wanted to have a lot of fun. I think if you can’t have fun when you’re promoting a Marvel film, when can you? A jumping-off point was Imagination. The Dilara Findikoglu feather dress that I wore and the Schiaparelli belt jackets, they could all be their own characters a bit and I really liked the idea of playing with that.
Corrin wears Dilara Findikoglu dress, Jimmy Choo heels.
(Image credit: Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
What was your favorite look?
They’re all so different. The 16Arlington dress I wore to see Christ the Redeemer was also really beautiful for that moment. I remember we were assigning looks to different events, and I was like ‘That’s what [I] need to wear to see that incredible landmark.’ It felt really fitting and reverent in a way, which was cool. I think the Schiaparelli look was my favorite. I loved that look so much. I felt so powerful in it.
Corrin wears Schiaparelli jacket and pants, Cartier jewelry.
(Image credit: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
There’s this distinct style of power with the trench coat that Cassandra has. Essentially, a supervillain uniform. So, I’m curious— if you had a supervillain uniform, what would it be?
You know what? I really enjoyed Cassandra’s boots. I think a high boot with a little heel is really good, especially with a lace-up. I think Cassandra’s costume was really fun because it really paid homage to the comics, which was really fantastic to honor that look and style, but also, we made it very chic. I mean, she’s kind of chic in the comics as well. It was a slender boot with a baggier trouser and a lengthy trench. The way that makes you feel when you’re walking in it, you do just have this different swagger. It was really fun. I don’t know what mine would be… I tend to always opt for comfiness. I feel like I can only operate well if I’m very comfortable, so I’m not sure. Probably something similar to her because she can be nimble in it but it also makes a really cool silhouette.
You just described this idea of Cassandra’s look making her feel powerful… What makes you feel powerful in fashion?
Being comfortable. I don’t mean that in just coziness, but I mean that in being really comfortable in what you’re wearing so that you feel empowered by it.
Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
(Image credit: Disney)
Is there one thing you’re really excited to see in terms of audience reaction and fan reactions?
There’s a lot to expect from Cassandra. I’m excited for the audience to really not know what to make of her, which hopefully will happen. This film was a truckload of surprises and some of the surprise appearances by certain people in this film were all absolutely breathtaking, and some of my favorite performances of all time. I just can’t wait for people to see that. I think it’s going to really break the internet.
Is there a favorite moment or memory that you have on set that you can’t wait to talk about once the film is out?
Every day was a real adventure for me. I’d never been on a set of the scale, all our sets were completely built with functional, practical sets. I was expecting a lot of green screen and it totally wasn’t that. Honestly, every day it was like working in a playground, you have so much fun.
Deadpool and Wolverine is in theaters now.
