There’s no question the Deadpool franchise has been mostly about Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson. In the third movie, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is sharing the spotlight and glory with Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth. However, there is one other key person involved: the anchor in Wade’s life, Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa Carlysle.

Despite being played by an actor with an impressive CV, unfortunately, Vanessa has been a bit-part player in Deadpool’s world. Thankfully, there is an underrated 2024 sci-fi horror movie that proves she should be given a bigger role in the series moving forward: Elevation, also starring Captain America’s Anthony Mackie.

The MCU’s Vanessa Carlysle, Explained

The Deadpool Movies Hasn’t Capitalized on Vanessa’s potential

Vanessa was the fiancée Wade left behind in the first film when he was diagnosed with cancer. He wallowed in self-pity, engendering himself in great suffering. He did feel guilty over abandoning her. While his intentions were good, he still came off selfish. It’s why he punished himself and built up a mental shell. Luckily, Wade went through a scientific procedure, became a regenerative soldier and rescued Vanessa from Ajax, the man who disfigured him.

Wade later unmasked and reminded Vanessa she was his soulmate, which led to a new romance blossoming. Unfortunately, Deadpool 2 fridged Vanessa by having Wade’s enemies kill her at the beginning of the film. Deadpool did use time-travel (via Cable’s technology) to bring her back at the end. It meant he could continue shaping a life filled with true love. That is, until Vanessa got a reduced role again come Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Wade grew depressed, emotionally unavailable, and lashed out at her when Earth-616’s Avengers rejected him.

Vanessa broke up with Wade, adamant that she didn’t deserve such a tumultuous life with him. He was too self-aggrandizing for her. She even dated again, breaking Wade’s heart. But, like clockwork, Vanessa gets back with him after his Multiverse-hopping shenanigans. She knew Wade was the perfect one for her. The problem is, Vanessa just feels like a plot device relegated to a few scenes or glorified cameos.

Vanessa is given nothing to do except to inspire or crush Wade. It diminishes her agency, which even the Deadpool 2 director, David Leitch, and screenwriter, Rhett Reese, acknowledged in the past. This reduction of Vanessa’s character feels creatively bankrupt at best, and comes off as sexist at worst. She shouldn’t exist as a mere dial for Wade’s feelings; she should, instead, be presented as a layered character, complete with a fully fleshed-out personality like Deadpool himself.

The MCU’s Deadpool Franchise Can Unleash Vanessa’s Copycat Side

Vanessa Can Be Redeemed By Becoming Copycat

In the comics, Vanessa was a shape-shifting mutant known as Copycat. She could warp her skin like Mystique, but she could also copy powers, akin to Morph. After Wade left her, she became a mercenary. She pretended to be Domino for a bit, and work with Cable, New Mutants and X-Force. She wanted Deadpool killed as part of her revenge tour. She became a hero, but hid a dark secret: she was a spy for the vicious arms dealer, Tolliver.

In time, Copycat was exposed and became a villain, but she redeemed herself. She and Wade left on peaceful terms after they realized how much they hurt each other. Copycat would be involved in many wars, jobs and black-ops projects thereafter, toeing the line between tyrant and anti-hero. However, one thing stood out: she was one of Marvel’s best soldiers. To the point, she even became part of the Weapon X program. Now, these arcs won’t be applicable to the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to the continuity laid down already. Not unless Wade meets a Vanessa variant from another world.

Copycat Comic Details

Real Name
First Appearance
Year of Debut
Creators

Vanessa Carlysle
X-Force #19
Feb., 1993
Fabian Nicieza and Greg Capullo

The MCU could have Wade train Vanessa. She could easily become observant and talented, reading people akin to the Thunderbolts‘ Taskmaster. It would fit her arc organically, too. Vanessa would be tired of playing the victim, making a meta statement on the control she has now regarding her life and destiny. Transitioning from damsel in distress to someone able to protect her friends like Blind Al would make sense. She would have Shatterstar and Negasonic Teenage Warhead as well to learn from, making her capable of not needing male saviors.

Vanessa has immense potential as a heroic Copycat helping Wade on the job, a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or as a den mother no one should underestimate. This would enhance the feminist vibe of the franchise. Representation matters, and such a move would go a long way to course-correcting the past. To that end, Morena Baccarin has a movie on her CV that acts as an inadvertent audition.

Elevation Proves Morena Baccarin Can Be a Deadly Copycat

Morena Baccarin Is a Cutthroat, Gun-Toting Fighter in Elevation

Baccarin has shown her action chops in the past with Serenity, Firefly and Stargate SG-1. But she hasn’t really been a lead that cuts loose in bloody fashion. Elevation signifnicantly changes this. In this 2024 sci-fi horror, Baccarin plays a woman named Nina, a former scientist who needs to get to her lab. She has special bullets there that can kill monsters who hunt humans on the ground. As she embarks on this journey with Anthony Mackie’s Will, she bears arms and slaughters the creatures. It is a movie that is flying under the radar despite being in the vein of A Quiet Place, Bird Box, and Halle Berry’s Never Let Go — a story of survival in a post-apocalyptic realm overrun by scary beings.

Humanity’s final fight begins at 8,000 feet. #ElevationMovie starring Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson is exclusively in theaters November 8. pic.twitter.com/wJ2HVkjp3z — Elevation (@elevationmovie) October 3, 2024

Baccarin exudes that heroic persona found in superhero comics and other media. She is a true leader and warrior, balancing brain and brawn. Will is in awe of how cerebral she is, not just with her science, but in the field. Nina’s confidence and ability to step up is what Wade could do with her in battle and be a true partner. It helps that Baccarin is alongside Mackie, the MCU’s new Captain America. This makes her soldier energy shine even more, especially in the Elevation ending. There, she helps Will gather the bullets and build a resistance. More pockets join the revolution, making Nina a very important rebel and a founder of the new wave.

It’s about time Baccarin got more of these types of roles. She voiced Talia al Ghul in Son of Batman and Batman: Bad Blood, and was Leslie Thompkins in Gotham. In Elevation, it is clear she can use knives, guns and bombs to become a super-agent. Copycat is just that. In the end, it would give the MCU a new affectionate dimension to Wade’s professional and personal life, and add nuance of them worrying about each other on the clock. Ultimately, this is the kind of material that Baccarin, is made for, as Elevation’s Nina illustrates.

Elevation is now in theaters.