R-Rated ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer Unveils Emma Corrin as Nefarious Villain Cassandra Nova — with Possible ‘X-Men ’97’ Connection?

Marvel unveiled the latest R-rated trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine this morning, and it’s chock full of f-bombs, brutal mutant-on-mutant violence, and cocaine bits with the great Leslie Uggams. However, the big reveal has nothing to do with seeing what happens with Ryan Reynolds‘s popular and profane Deadpool collides with Hugh Jackman‘s uber-popular X-Man Wolverine. No, the moments comic book fans are kvelling over this morning have to do with the long-awaited reveal of Deadpool & Wolverine villain Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). The bald baddie has something of a disgustingly weird origin story — that may or may not connect to some of the latest shocking twists in Disney+‘s X-Men ’97. Either way, we know now for sure that Deadpool and Wolverine will be meeting their match in Charles Xavier’s “twin” sister, Cassandra…

Deadpool & Wolverine is the third film in the R-rated Deadpool film series and the first to be produced as part of the official Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film not only teams up the two most popular characters in Fox’s old X-Men stable, but also will loosely tie in with the MCU we know and love. (The TVA, first introduced in Loki, will factor into Deadpool & Wolverine‘s story, with Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen playing a hitherto unseen TVA employee.)

Of course, the question remained: what sort of villain could be so bad, so powerful, so mean as to inspire such a legendary team-up? The answer? Cassandra Nova.

Comic book fans know Cassandra Nova as the mummudrai (or Shi’ar anti-self) of Professor Charles Xavier. She joined Professor X in the womb, adopting his DNA to become his sort of, kind of “twin sister.” The two telepathically-charged fetuses waged war in the womb and Professor X prevailed, blowing the murderous Cassandra with a psychic blast. His mother miscarried Cassandra and she then just existed as, uh, like sentient goo on a sewer wall for years and years. She would later reemerge in early ’00s comics as a wizened old lady hellbent on chaos and destruction. One of her greatest evils? Orchestrating the utter destruction of the Mutant safe haven of Genosha… An event that recently rocked Disney+’s X-Men ’97 (although the show attributes the act to Mister Sinister.)

So basically Cassandra Nova is like an evil, gender-bent Charles Xavier. Which means that she can use his immense psychic powers to control and destroy even the most seemingly indestructible superheroes. We even get a glimpse of her using her mind control powers on Wolverine in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer.

One thing to note: Cassandra looks a lot younger and rested in this trailer than she does in the comics. Considering the fact that the TVA is at play in Deadpool & Wolverine, it could simply be that she is arriving from an alternate timeline wherein she defeated Charles in the womb. Or Hollywood just wanted the fresh-faced, 28-year-old Corrin’s lovely face to shine on screen.

Either way, Cassandra Nova is a weird, spooky, terrifying villain, and perfect for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters July 26.