Emma Corrin took inspiration from Gene Wilder’s version of Willy Wonka when portraying their villainous character in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The Crown star, who uses they/them pronouns, did a deep dive into cinema’s ultimate villains when they were cast as the evil Cassandra Nova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

They took particular inspiration from Wilder’s version of the eccentric inventor in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as well as Christoph Waltz’s portrayal of Nazi officer Hans Landa in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.

Corrin told GQ that Wilder’s Wonka was “one of the best villains of all time” and continued, “There’s something extravagant in Gene Wilder’s performance. 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**king fairy godmother.”

After a run of lacklustre box office returns in 2023, studio executives are hoping for a return to form with Deadpool & Wolverine, the only Marvel movie to be released this year.

The 28-year-old actor has every confidence that Ryan Reynolds’s highly-anticipated crossover with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine will restore Marvel to its former glory.

“There’s a lot of pressure on it, but I think that it’s the right one at the right time,” they said. “Because it’s Deadpool, and Deadpool has always broken the mould, right? That’s why Ryan is a literal genius.

“When the genre has been incredibly safe, and at the moment, it’s on the rocks, people come in and blow it out of the water again.”

Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy, will be released in cinemas on 25 July.

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