How Vanessa From Deadpool Is Very Different From The Comics
In the mid-2010s, 20th Century Fox finally kicked off a Deadpool-centric film series to supplement its ongoing "X-Men" franchise. Though it had little to do with the adventures of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Professor X (Sir Patrick Stewart), and the others, it did give the "X-Men" universe a much-needed shot in the arm. That's largely due to Ryan Reynolds' stellar performance as the Merc with a Mouth, as well as its R-rated comedic edge, which differentiated it from the more family-friendly Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. Not to mention, it incorporated a host of other Marvel Comics favorites.
The likes of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Cable (Josh Brolin), and Domino (Zazie Beetz) all featured prominently in the "Deadpool" films, as did Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin). She made her debut in the first feature as Wade Wilson's love interest, whom he later pushes away following his cancer diagnosis. They rekindle their love by the end and carry it over into "Deadpool 2," but Vanessa is shot early on and dies from her injuries. This sends Wade into a deep depression, though his friends help him out of it and motivate him to honor her memory.
Using Cable's time travel device, Wade goes back in time to save Vanessa's life, meaning that should the "Deadpool" saga continue, she could return. Good thing, too, because the live-action Vanessa Carlysle hasn't even begun to reach the potential of her comic book counterpart.
Vanessa Carlysle goes by the alias Copycat on the pages of Marvel Comics
Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld — the men behind Deadpool himself — Vanessa Carlysle technically made her Marvel Comics arrival in 1990's "New Mutants" #98. Although, it would take some time to learn it was actually her, since she'd used her shapeshifting abilities to masquerade as Domino. In stark contrast to her live-action translation, she had light blue skin, red eyes, and white hair and could transform herself into a variety of individuals down to a genetic level. Unsurprisingly, much like her appearance, Vanessa's story in print is incredibly different from hers on the silver screen.
Dubbed Copycat, Vanessa had previously been in love with Wade Wilson, though just like in the 2016 movie, he broke things off following his cancer diagnosis. Instead of lamenting their lost love, however, she became a mercenary herself, first under the employ of Tyler Dayspring. In the years that followed, Copycat found herself at odds with her old flame, Deadpool, Wolverine, and the X-Force team, and even joined forces with names like Taskmaster and Wizard. She'd meet her demise at the hands of Sabretooth per the direction of those working under the Weapon X Program, but would miraculously return post-M-Day.
Evidently, Morena Baccarin's Vanessa Carlysle bears little resemblance to the source material. Perhaps someday that could change, but for the time being, they couldn't be any more different.