Deadpool And Wolverine Actor Responds To Criticism From Wrestler Who Used To Have The Role

As a long-time comic book fan and enthusiast, I must say that Kevin Nash’s journey into the Marvel cinematic universe was truly inspiring. His portrayal of The Russian in “The Punisher” back in 2004 left an indelible mark on me, and it was a treat to see him reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, I must admit that when I heard about Billy Clements stepping into those formidable boots, I had my reservations.


By now, even the people who haven’t seen Deadpool & Wolverine know that the film features numerous actors from 20th Century Fox’s Marvel movies reprising their roles. There are also a handful of cameos and callouts to other non-Fox Marvel films, but not all of the original actors returned. Former WWE star Kevin Nash recently commented on his replacement in the new film, and now his successor has responded.

heads up! this information may give away slight spoilers about Deadpool and Wolverine in their movies. if you haven’t watched either or prefer not to know the plot details, it would be best to pause here.

In 2004, Nash took on a minor yet impactful part in The Punisher, portraying an assassin known as ‘The Russian’. Thomas Jane’s portrayal of The Punisher came close to meeting his match against this seemingly invincible adversary. During a recent podcast discussion, Nash expressed that the new actor playing ‘The Russian’ doesn’t resemble the character he played at all. In his words, “That bears no resemblance to the character I portrayed – it’s nothing like The Russian.” He then added, “It seems they granted someone a favor.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Billy Clements (@billyclements_)

In response to Nash’s Instagram comment, it was Billy Clements who chose to express his thoughts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Billy Clements (@billyclements_)

Clements shared, “I put in a tremendous amount of effort to land that part. For seven long years, I climbed my way up from being an extra at the bottom rung. I gave it my all, attending audition after audition, determined to succeed. To finally secure that role was a privilege. It meant everything to me, as if the entire world was mine. Honestly, I still can’t believe I became a genuine Marvel character.”

In the course of discussing his preparations, Clements mentioned that he gained 32 pounds of muscle and spent three months learning Russian for the character’s portrayal. He also commended Nash’s interpretation of the character and shared his connection to the original character from the Punisher comics. To conclude, he expressed his gratitude towards Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Feige, and director Shawn Levy for giving him an opportunity to audition and taking a risk on casting him in the role.

The action-packed duo of Deadpool and Wolverine can be seen on the big screen right now. However, it wasn’t just the Russian character who made a surprise appearance in the movie; there were other Marvel cameos as well.

Read More

2024-08-15 03:09