The first time you watch Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) brawl Yuriko Oyama aka Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu) in 2003’s “X2: X-Men United,” you may find yourself echoing what Logan says at the outset of their showdown: “Holy s**t.” More than 20 years later, the fight between these two super-healing individuals with adamantium-laced skeletons still ranks up there as one of the most savage mutant versus mutant scuffles in all of 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” movies. Despite being restricted by the film’s PG-13 rating, this sequence manages to packs in plenty of wince-inducing moments, culminating with Lady Deathstrike’s horrifying fate of death by liquified adamantium injection. That she’d spent the whole movie being forced to serve the detestable William Stryker (Brian Cox), who uses a mind control serum to rob her of her agency, only adds to the greater tragedy of the character.
In light of this, it might’ve felt strange if Hu had reprised her “X2” role for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Weird as it is to see Wesley Snipes’ Blade in a Marvel action-comedy that’s well removed from the look and tone of the actor’s previous outings as the daywalker, it could’ve been odder still if Hu had been one of the many Marvel-Fox alumni to cameo in the film. It’s one thing when Tyler Mane returns as Victor Creed aka Sabretooth from 2000’s “X-Men” — a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood who’s just kind of an a-hole — and gets swiftly decapitated by Wolverine. Bringing back Hu to play a mutant who was cruelly denied of her own free will and then butchered by Logan just wouldn’t have had the wistful fan service effect that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is going for.
Perhaps it’s better, then, that a different actor played Lady Deathstrike in the film — in the process giving an up-and-coming stunt performer a brief moment to shine in a superhero mega-blockbuster.
Jade Lye donned the fingernails for Deadpool & Wolverine
While Hu’s “X2” costar Aaron Stanford once again lit up the screen as John Allerdyce aka Pyro in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Lady Deathstrike is instead brought to life by Jade Lye in the film. The actor, whom you can spot behind Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) in the above image, has been working as a stunt performer for several years now. In addition to doubling as Supergirl in 2023’s “The Flash,” she’s done stunt work in movies like Tim Burton’s live-action “Dumbo” and “Meg 2: The Trench,” on top of TV shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Lioness” (in which she doubled for Zoe Saldaña).
Taking to Instagram to celebrate “Deadpool & Wolverine” crossing the $1 billion mark at the box office, Lye posted several behind-the-scenes photos showing off her practical metal fingernails in the film (in addition to images of herself with other cast and crew members). She also gave a “special thanks” to the movie’s second unit director and supervising stunt coordinator, George Cottle, along with her “amazing” hair and makeup team. She added, “[Mornings] I will never forget and are very special and loved every moment! Will cherish all the amazing times on set with such talented team!”
Hu is far from the only “X-Men” veteran who wasn’t brought back for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but again, her exclusion makes a good deal of sense when you get down to brass tacks. There’s a great film to be made that really examines Wolverine’s violent legacy in the Fox-Marvel movie universe (which includes killing Hu’s Lady Deathstrike and other victims of humanity’s anti-mutant prejudice) — in fact, it’s already been made, and it’s called “Logan.” For better or worse, though, that’s just not what “Deadpool & Wolverine” had in mind with its own look back at that bygone era of Marvel media.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is currently playing in theaters.