DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Director Shawn Levy Confirms Which Marvel Actors Weren’t Asked to Return

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As a die-hard fan of the X-Men franchise, I must say it feels like a bitter-sweet journey down memory lane with this news. It seems like we are bidding farewell to some iconic characters and their actors who have been part of our lives for so long.

In a thrilling nod to Marvel’s past productions primarily from 20th Century Fox, Deadpool and Wolverine witnessed an impressive array of cameos from former Marvel characters. The collective jaws of fans everywhere dropped as Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Garner, Channing Tatum, Dafne Keen, and Chris Evans reappeared on screen in their old Marvel roles. However, despite the numerous returning actors, there were some who unfortunately didn’t get a chance to return. Surprisingly, some actors were never approached by Marvel. During an interview on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, director Shawn Levy revealed which actors he attempted to bring back and which ones he hadn’t considered asking.

Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier

Throughout the entire year, there were whispers about Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor X. However, director Shawn Levy never seriously considered Stewart for the roles in Deadpool & Wolverine. In fact, during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Levy clarified that Stewart’s name was never even brought up in discussions. Interestingly, actress Emma Corin, who portrays Xavier’s villainous twin sister Cassandra Nova, has reportedly studied Stewart’s performance meticulously.

Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth

Although Liev Schreiber is currently collaborating with Shawn Levy on another production, the director clarified that he did not invite Schreiber to reprise his role as Sabretooth. Previously, Schreiber portrayed a version of the wild mutant assassin in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” The decision to exclude him was made due to writer Zeb Wells’ preference for Tyler Mane’s portrayal of the character from the initial “X-Men” series.

The Original X-Men Cast

Discussing the original X-Men cast members, there have been numerous online rumors suggesting Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, and Anna Paquin might reprise their roles as Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Rogue. However, director Shawn Levy has stated that he didn’t even consider them for the project. This adds more speculation to the theory that Kevin Feige intends to phase them out in a future project.

James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier

In a separate conversation with Variety, James McAvoy clarified that he was not asked to reprise his role as Charles Xavier in any future projects. However, he did grant permission for footage from previous films to be used during the end credits montage. When questioned about potential Marvel Studios collaborations, McAvay emphatically stated, “Absolutely not, no, no, no, no. I don’t believe so. If there was a possibility, it seems they had discarded that idea long before reaching out to me, so no.”

Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider

Ryan Reynolds shared that he had discussions with Nicolas Cage about reprising his role as Ghost Rider. Reynolds was tight-lipped about the outcome of their talks, only telling Collider, “Yes, it did come up for sure. Yeah, but no.” It’s possible that Cage wasn’t keen on another CGI-heavy scenario like in The Flash, a decision we can understand.

It’s quite possible that there are additional unexpected characters or faces we haven’t seen before in the mix. After all, who knows who could show up in Avengers: Secret Wars? It’s never too late to catch a glimpse of our favorite Marvel actors once more!

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2024-08-09 03:02