Deadpool & Wolverine: Kevin Nash Has A Brutal Response To The Russian Being Recast

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is full of cameos from characters who hang out in the forgotten corners of Marvel's Multiverse. They include Elektra (Jennifer Garner), who was associated with one of the worst superhero movies ever made. There's also Gambit (Channing Tatum), whose planned cinematic adventure never materialized. Unfortunately, the film couldn't find room for anyone from 2004's "The Punisher" adaptation, though a variant of The Russian appears, played here by actor Billy Clements. By no means is he the most notable cameo in the film, but it caught the attention of former WWE champion Kevin Nash, who portrayed the villain in the aforementioned "Punisher" flick.

Speaking on Kliq This: The Kevin Nash Podcast, the wrestler-turned-actor had some harsh words for the latest iteration of The Russian, who, in a departure from the clean-shaven face and blonde buzz cut his character rocked in "The Punisher," has brown hair and a beard in "Deadpool 3." "That looks nothing like the character I played. That looks nothing like The Russian," he said, suggesting that he isn't a fan of the latest iteration of the massive assassin.

It's a fair assessment, but to be fair, it'd be difficult to find actors who would resemble Nash's Russian — after all, "Big Sexy" is a giant human being with a distinct look. However, while his comments above might sound critical, he said he wasn't too bothered about Clements stealing the role he made famous. In fact, fans shouldn't hold out hope for seeing the hulking "Magic Mike" star on the big screen any time soon.

Kevin Nash's exploits as The Russian in "The Punisher" are even more devastating than the infamous "Fingerpoke of Doom" he famously unleashed on Hulk Hogan on "WCW Nitro" back in the day. The behemoth is one of the assassins who's tasked with eliminating Thomas Jane's titular vigilante, which leads to a violent showdown in a tiny apartment. It's an intense scene, and anyone who's seen the 2004 movie would have probably popped for a Nash appearance in "Deadpool & Wolverine." But would he have reprised the role if Marvel came calling?

Nash discussed his current acting ambitions on "Kliq This," sarcastically implying that he wants to take it easy these days. "I'm 65 years old. What I want to do in life is, I want to go someplace that's not my crib, and be in a hotel, and work a 12-hour day. And then leave, and go home, and while I cook and prepare my meal and eat it, go over lines for tomorrow. While I sit in makeup the next day, have somebody run lines with me, and then every time I get a break, run lines again before I shoot a scene, or a scene we're not in, find somebody to run lines with."

It seems that Nash doesn't like the mundane routines that come with being an actor. However, it's also worth noting that he almost died while shooting the aforementioned scene for "The Punisher."

"The Punisher" is a violent movie that required all of its actors to get physical to some degree. Of course, Kevin Nash's experiences as a pro wrestler made him the ideal candidate for an action flick of this ilk. Still, taking bumps in the squared circle and being stabbed in the chest are two different things, which the ex-WCW and WWE star can attest to.

Speaking on another episode of Kliq This, Nash recounted the story of him being stabbed on the set of "The Punisher." The moment occurred while he was shooting The Russian and Frank Castle's fight scene, only to discover that Thomas Jane was using a real knife. "The prop guy's over there sniffing up this ... girl's a**, you know, trying to f**king get her number, and doesn't change out the knives, and I take one in the collarbone."

Fortunately, Nash survived to tell the story, and he doesn't hold any ill will toward Jane for stabbing him. Still, when you consider that "Deadpool & Wolverine" is loaded with meta jokes about its actors' personal lives, the filmmakers missed a golden opportunity by not recasting Nash and commenting on his dramatic experience. As such, fans will forever be left wondering what could have been.

If you want to learn more about more obscure references in Marvel's latest big-budget blockbuster, read about the small details you might have missed in "Deadpool & Wolverine."