It's hard to imagine anybody else but Morena Baccarin playing the wise-cracking Vanessa in "Deadpool," but it turns out that the role was initially offered to Olivia Munn. The "X-Men: Apocalypse" star has just admitted that she decided not to take on the girlfriend role opposite Ryan Reynolds because she wanted to do "fight scenes" as Psylocke!
No More Girlfriend Roles For Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn recently spoke to American Way magazine (via ComicBookMovie), where she confirmed that she was originally up for the role that eventually landed on Morena Baccarin's lap. The "X-Men: Apocalypse" actress stated that she had turned down the part because she didn't want to play the lead star's girlfriend and was interested in a more action-filled role.
"One Of The Most Lethal Characters" In X-Men
Luckily, Olivia Munn ended up being contacted for the role of Betsy Braddock aka Psylocke, but she also made sure that the character will be given plenty of action sequences. "The fight scene could be her monologue," she said with a smile. The "X-Men: Apocalypse" star also revealed that she had a lot of say on how Psylocke will be portrayed in the movie.
"I thought Psylocke was always one of the most lethal characters," she said, adding that she made sure "X-Men: Apocalypse" will not focus on the Marvel mutant's looks. "I said, 'Yes, as long as you're not using her to be the eye candy. She has really powerful abilities.' And they said, 'Yes, that's an important part,' " Munn concluded.
The Psylocke Workout
Olivia Munn has obviously thrown herself into the role of Psylocke in "X-Men: Apocalypse." Her Instagram account is littered with videos of Munn practicing her sword-fighting skills, and there is even a short video of her with "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds facing off in a sword fight.
#Psylocke v. #Deadpool #xmen #apocalypse Right hand left hand sword play
A video posted by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on Feb 7, 2016 at 12:02pm PST
Psylocke is undoubtedly one of the most famous mutants from the "X-Men" comic books and fans are excited to seeing her come to life. The final trailer for "X-Men: Apocalypse" has also shown Olivia Munn's Psylocke in action opposite Nicholas Hoult's Beast.
"X-Men: Apocalypse" is directed by Bryan Singer and also stars "Game of Thrones" actress Sophie Turner. The film will premiere on May 27.
