How Britain's Ugliest Dog Peggy Transformed Into Deadpool & Wolverine's Dogpool

"Deadpool & Wolverine" is jam-packed with fun cameos, with the Marvel flick pulling out all the stops to give fans a variant-infused multiversal thrill ride. While fans can expect to see a wide column of variants appearing in the threequel, the bestest version of Deadpool that struts across the screen is none other than Dogpool, the character's weirdest variant.

Bringing the character to life is none other than Peggy, a mixed breed canine that earned her fame in 2023 by winning an "ugliest dog" competition in the United Kingdom. Peggy's iconic, albeit unconventional, appearance led her to making an immediate impression with judges and becoming something of a viral sensation.

Born in 2018, Peggy was adopted by Holly Middleton when the animal was just six months old. After first finding the pup on an adoption website, Holly knew Peggy was perfect for her and her family. "We loved her the Instant we laid eyes on her with her big brown eyes, little tuft of white hair and her tongue lolling out to one side. I just felt sorry for her, sat there with no hair and her tongue out" (per BBC). In regards to entering her pet in an 'ugly' competition, Holly mentioned how it was all in good fun, and that her family believes "she is beautiful both inside and out, and wouldn't change her for the world."

Little did Peggy and Holly know, the Multiverse had a lot more in store for them than a mere national ugly competition.

As "Deadpool & Wolverine" filmed primarily in the UK, it seems the stars were perfectly aligned for Peggy to achieve further greatness after slaying her local rivals. In an interview with Empire, Ryan Reynolds spoke about how Peggy, to him, perfectly represented Deadpool, albeit in canine form. "The reason why I was a huge proponent for her was because she feels like the animal manifestation of Wade Wilson."

According to director Shawn Levy, there was a worldwide search for the right dog actor. But just like the when she beat out all her British competition, Peggy impressed, impressed, and impressed. While there were some level of preparation that had to be done as Peggy had never performed on a set before, Levy and the rest of the film's crew had nothing but wonderful things to say. "I am so proud of Peggy because when we first met her, she was so shy," Wendy Jacobson, one of the movie's executive producers, explained (via Marvel.com). However, completing her training, Peggy flourished and reigned supreme on set. "[S]he knew she was a star. She'd just be sitting there in her costume, laying out and letting everyone walk by and admire her. She loved it."

The "Deadpool & Wolverine" cast and crew weren't the only ones who lavished Peggy with praise. Fans have been throwing the goodest girl nothing but praise long before the film's first trailers were even released. In a December 2023 Reddit thread dedicated to Dogpool and his anti-hero owner, many fans wondered if Peggy had what it took to step up to the big leagues. "Don't know if the dog has the acting chops," one fan wondered. Another Redditor plainly (and rightfully) wrote: "That dog is adorable." 

Now that the movie is finally released, it seems fans still love Dogpool and Peggy. "Idc what anyone says, dogpool was easily one of my favorite parts of the movie AAAAAND i also don't care what anyone says, peggy is ADORABLE," @folklokier wrote. Peggy, in full costume, attended her movie's red carpet premiere, and honestly stole the show. Clearly she had better things to do, as she was darting off during cast interviews. Go, Peggy, go!

It's been a busy last couple of days for Marvel. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Looper's coverage of Robert Downey Jr. taking on the mantle of Victor von Doom and Cynthia Vinney's review of "Deadpool & Wolverine."