Marvel’s newest blockbuster hit Deadpool & Wolverine brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe back from the dead, featuring fan-favorite characters and an enjoyable watch for anyone who didn’t mind the comically gory action sequences. A hidden gem of the movie is the antagonist, Cassandra Nova, a modern villain originating from the comic series New X-Men.
As the power-hungry ruler of the Void–the dumping grounds for all of the unwanted things in the universe–Nova keeps both our heroes and the audience on their toes. Emma Corrin portrays her as cruel, manipulative, and sometimes outright maniacal. One would think that these combined traits would lead to a flat, boring villain, but Nova is powerful and multi-faceted, with real motives behind her decisions.
Banished to the Void before she could walk, Cassandra Nova’s powerful psychic powers condemned her from the moment she was born. However, instead of seeking revenge, Nova discovered the full potential of her powers in the void. She was living in a place where she wouldn’t be oppressed and had total control, eventually rising to become the empress of the wasteland. She has the same tragic backstory elements that a normal villain would have, so what makes her stand out?
Nova rejects the stereotype that most female villains and characters generally embody: “do it for love” or “do it just because.” Many female villains, especially those in action movies, have one main motivation: love. They are either so in love with a character that they will do anything to please them or so jealous that they will do anything to get revenge. Harley Quinn, for example, is a staple villain in DC. She is madly in love with the Joker, and will do anything for him. She is obsessed with him and is constantly seeking his validation, going so far as to break him out of Arkham Asylum. Harley’s obsession with male characters like the Joker is her main driving force.
Another main stereotype that female characters in general have is that they tend to solve problems with their fists and not with their minds. In light of modern criticism of the “damsel in distress” trope, writers have started creating female characters that are independent, tough, and can hold their own without a man’s help. Characters in action franchises such as Captain Marvel and Rey Skywalker are depicted as powerful, able to outcompete their male counterparts unreasonably quickly, and flawless. On the outside it may seem that this makes them empowering female characters, but in reality we are given one-note “girlbosses” with nothing that makes them inspiring other than the fact that they can beat up seven people with their eyes closed. These characters don’t empower women, they reduce them to violent cutouts.
These are the exact stereotypes that Cassandra Nova rejects. She doesn’t obsess over a man that she loved and lost, and she isn’t boiled down to a flat femme fatale. Instead, she shows strength and intelligence. Throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, Nova displays her telepathic prowess, manipulating her enemies to serve her needs and forming an army of all who reside in the Void. Furthermore, at the climax of the movie, Nova telepathically invades Wolverine’s mind and attempts to convince him to join her. While it may seem that this just adds on to another derogatory trope: a powerful woman isn’t complete without a more powerful man, Nova is actually taking the next step in building her empire. Wolverine has an adamantium-laced skeleton and a healing factor that makes him virtually impossible to kill. Paired with her brainwashing, he would become her perfect weapon. Nova doesn’t try to recruit Wolverine in an act of love, she does it with an obsession for power and control.
Throughout Hollywood history, female characters have been portrayed as damsels in distress who need saving, while modern “woke” media has portrayed them as seductive, one-dimensional, and infallible in an attempt to write a “strong female character.” Cassandra Nova transcends these stereotypes. Instead of lusting over a male character, she manipulates them to her cause. Instead of devoting herself to someone, she creates an empire. Nova may be vicious and insane, but she’s also intelligent and cunning. Her motives are centered around what is best for her, and she certainly doesn’t need anyone to validate her. Cassandra Nova may be a villain, but she exemplifies the traits of a real empowering female character.