The new Deadpool & Wolverine movie features a long list of Multiversal Variants, but not all are familiar faces from the past (even if the characters they play are instantly recognisable).
Toad, Psylocke, Azazel, Lady Deathstrike, The Russian, and more are all played by stuntpeople or lesser-known actors; whether that was because the original stars weren't interested in returning or a cost-saving exercise is unclear. Either way, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash wasn't approached about reprising his role from 2004's The Punisher.
Talking on the latest edition of his podcast (via ComicBookMovie.com), the pro wrestler and actor was asked to share his thoughts on Billy Clements taking over as the formidable villain.
"That looks nothing like the character I played," Nash said after being shown a photo of the darker-haired Variant. "That looks nothing like The Russian. It looks like they gave somebody a favour."
"I love when people say, 'Oh, Nash is trolling for movie parts,'" he continued. "Hey, guys, again, man, I'm 65 years old. What I want to do in life [sarcastically] is, I want to go someplace that's not my crib, and be in a hotel, and work a 12-hour day. And then leave, and go home, and while I cook and prepare my meal and eat it, go over lines for tomorrow."
"While I sit in makeup the next day, have somebody run lines with me, and then every time I get a break, run lines again before I shoot a scene, or a scene we're not in, find somebody to run lines with. Once you get your lines, if you don't know your lines, you can't f***ing get the job done. Period."
While Nash isn't too upset, it's still a shame we didn't see the original actors reprise those villainous roles. Admittedly, they were used as little more than cannon fodder for the Resistance, but that fight in The Void would have surely left more of a lasting impact had the Variants been played by the likes of Olivia Munn and Kelly Hu.
In 2022, Nash's co-star in The Punisher, Thomas Jane, admitted he accidentally stabbed the legendary pro wrestler during shooting.
"That was a bad day," Jane said. "I gotta tell you, when I was swinging around, and grabbing the prop knife, and he's there, and I plunge it into his chest...and it stabs him, and it goes in. And I'm looking at the knife, I'm looking at him. Kevin, he's just looking down at me, and there's a knife sticking out of his chest."
"Yeah, that was rough. And you know what made it worse? He was so nice about it. You're like, 'Oh my god, this guy's going to knock me across the room.' Just out of a reflex. He just sat there, looked at the knife, looked at me, and shook his head. I sent him a couple cases of beer, if I remember right," he concluded.
You can watch the full interview with Nash in the player below.