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Kevin Durand Reflects on Absence as The Blob in Deadpool & Wolverine
Actor Kevin Durand recently discussed why he did not reprise his role as The Blob in Deadpool & Wolverine. Known for his versatility, Durand has appeared in numerous projects, including The Strain and Swamp Thing. This year marks a significant milestone in his career, as he plays the main antagonist, Proximus Caesar, in both Abigail and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. However, he did not return for the third installment of the Deadpool franchise, despite having previously starred alongside Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
During a conversation with Comic Book Movie while promoting his film Clown in a Cornfield, Durand shed light on the absence of his character, Freed Dukes / The Blob. Although The Blob appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, it is portrayed by Mike Waters in a non-speaking role. Durand noted:
“You know, Hugh Jackman kept saying to me while we were shooting that scene in the ring, ‘Oh my God, they’re gonna go crazy for this character. Get used to doing this makeup process.’ It never came back around. The word that I heard was just that it was a very time-consuming character. It would take seven and a half hours to get fully into the makeup and the layers of costuming and whatnot. I can’t help but think it ended up being about time constraints, but hopefully, someone in that universe brings him back because he’s a terrific character. I would love to get under all those layers to explore Freddy Dukes again.”
Will The Blob Return?
Durand’s situation is not unique, as several actors from the Marvel film universe did not reprise their roles in Deadpool & Wolverine. While Cassandra Nova’s army included various villains from earlier 20th Century Fox films, the only returning actors were Aaron Stanford as Pyro and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth. Characters like Toad, Lady Deathstrike, Azazel, Juggernaut, and Bullseye were portrayed by new actors, suggesting they are multiversal variants.
Looking ahead, many actors from the X-Men franchise are set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, including Ian McKellen as Magneto and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. This development could theoretically create an opportunity for Durand to return as The Blob, possibly aligning him with Mystique’s Brotherhood of Mutants in a future film. However, The Blob’s appearance in an MCU film seems uncertain.
Despite being less recognized than other X-Men villains, The Blob has a rich history in comic lore. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #3 in 1964. As the X-Men are poised to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing The Blob could add depth to the lineup of antagonists. In the Ultimate Comics, he is depicted as the father of Firestar, a character expected to be played by Sadie Sink in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This creates space for Durand to embody a more nuanced version of The Blob, one that moves beyond the comedic portrayal in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Source
movieweb.com