Matthew Macfadyen Talks ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
Opening in theaters on July 26th is the long awaited third installment of the ‘Deadpool’ franchise entitled ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
The movie was directed by Shawn Levy (‘Free Guy’) and stars Ryan Reynolds (‘Deadpool 2’) and Hugh Jackman (‘Logan’), reprising their roles as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, as well as Emma Corrin (‘The Crown’) as Cassandra Nova and Matthew Macfadyen (‘Succession’) as Mr. Paradox.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Matthew Macfadyen about his work on ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, joining the MCU, his character, working with Reynolds and Jackman, and being directed by Levy.
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Paradox in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was it like joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and watching the specific way they make movies?
Matthew Macfadyen: It’s interesting because it’s only really after you’ve shot it and worked on it that you’re aware of this, or that I was becoming aware of this huge, wide and deep fan love for the MCU and for the project. So, it’s exciting and it’s thrilling, really, and there’s a lot of love for it. I think with the combination of Deadpool and Wolverine, the possibilities are endless now. They’re sort of infinite for matchups and new stories, and so it’s exciting. It’s great.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Paradox in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
MF: Were you surprised by the secrecy behind the project?
MM: No, I knew there’d be a fair number of secrets to be kept, and I was aware that there are special appearances by various characters and actors, so that was exciting. So, it’s great. It’s fun to keep a secret like that, or to keep secrets like that.
(L to R) Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Paradox and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
MF: Did you do any research into the comic book history of Mr. Paradox, or did you just base your performance off the screenplay?
MM: I just go off the script really and talking to Shawn, the director, and Ryan, I think if they’d wanted me to, I don’t know, do a bit of research or bring another flavor to it, they would’ve suggested that. But yeah, if you’ve got a good script and then just go with that. We did have a good script; we had a wonderful script.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
MF: How would you describe the character in your own words and how does he feel about working with Deadpool and Logan?
MM: I think he’s working with Deadpool and Logan through gritted teeth and weird fascination. He’s a strange man, Mr. Paradox, I think he’s disgruntled in his position within the TVA. He’s a bureaucrat, he’s an office guy, and I think he wishes he had a bit more heft and power, maybe.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
MF: What was it like working with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman and can you talk about the incredible onscreen chemistry they have together?
MM: They have a wonderful chemistry. They’re great friends, and so it was just lovely. They’re great friends, so you’ve got that, and they’re wonderful actors, so you’ve got that. Also, they’ve been playing these parts. Ryan’s brought Deadpool into existence, really. And Hugh’s been playing Wolverine for 24 years or something. So, it’s in their bodies, and it’s wonderful to watch. So that sort of authenticity and flare and those performances transmit through the whole set, and it’s exciting to see, especially when they walk on in the costumes. You’re like, “Oh, there we go. There they are”. It’s thrilling. It’s good fun.
(L to R) Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Director Shawn Levy on the set of Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
MF: Finally, can you talk about collaborating with director Shawn Levy on set?
MM: He’s wonderful. He has an amazing, dauntingly, amazing energy. He’s just extraordinary. You think, how are you still going? He’s just brilliant. But he’s just lovely. He has a great gift of giving everybody, and not just the actors, but everybody from the dresser to the props-maker to everybody, confidence. So, it’s wonderful. It creates a very happy, purposeful set where you’re coming to work, and it’s a nice place to be. He’s wonderful. He’s wonderful, Shawn.
“Come together.”
Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” delivers the ultimate, iconic, cinematic team-up throwdown on July 26. Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’?
Six years after the events of ‘Deadpool 2’, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) lives a quiet life, having left his time as the mercenary Deadpool behind him, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA)—a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline—pulls him into a new mission. With his home universe facing an existential threat, Wilson reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) on a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Who is in the cast of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’?
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 Marvel.