Where You've Seen Lady Deadpool's Stunt Double From Deadpool & Wolverine Before

While Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman may have been the stars of "Deadpool and Wolverine," there's an argument to be made that some of the smaller roles and cameos actually stole the show. Actors like Wesley Snipes reprised fan-favorite characters like Blade, while Channing Tatum finally got a chance to play Gambit in the MCU.

The finale of the movie also introduced a flurry of Deadpool variants that referenced everything from "The Greatest Showman" to Welsh soccer team Wrexham A.F.C. Leading the ragtag group was Lady Deadpool, a female version of the anti-hero voiced by none other than Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively. However, the part was physically portrayed by Australian stunt performer Christiaan "Stanni" Bettridge — who usually steps in when actors refuse or can't do stunts themselves. 

Despite being relatively new to the movie industry, Bettridge has already established herself in Hollywood and there's a good chance she's appeared in several films you've seen. We've already looked at what some of the "Deadpool and Wolverine" stunt doubles look like in real life, but here we delve into the life and career of Bettridge specifically, giving you a clue as to where you might have seen her before on the big screen.

Although Christiaan Bettridge is now known for her stunt work, she hasn't always worked in the movie industry. In fact, long before she became a stunt performer, Bettridge actually had a varied career working in several different fields. Her 2013 bio on a modeling agency website states that she worked as a dancer before the age of 22, in addition to landing some gigs as a model in her travels around Europe and Asia. However, it isn't clear exactly how committed to this job Bettridge was or if it led to further modeling work.

What is clear is that Bettridge was not just an average dancer. Having grown up with a background in ballet, Bettridge's first career saw her make use of her dancing skills — although she has admitted that she was not a naturally good dancer as a young child. Despite not having a deep love for ballet, she continued to develop as a dancer by performing professionally in Australia and expanding into other dance styles such as cabaret and contemporary. 

Her skills eventually got to the level that she landed prestigious jobs around the world. Bettridge performed as part of a burlesque and cabaret show at the Le Lido musical theater in Paris on the Champs-Élysées, and also as a dancer in the world-famous Moulin Rouge show. Any visitors to either show in France may have seen her perform on stage.

Christiaan Bettridge's first credited on-screen role was in the SyFy series "Hunters." The television show follows a group known as the Exo-Terrorism Unit, a secretive government organization that works to track down and eliminate a race of aliens that have invaded Earth and live among its people. It ran for just a single season of 13 episodes before it was brought to a premature end. This was arguably an unsurprising outcome, considering that the show received a universally negative response from critics and only a moderately better one from viewers during its original run.

Bettridge acted as a stunt double for the character Regan, played by Britne Oldford, in three episodes of the show in 2016. Regan is a Hunter in disguise, operating as a member of the ETU. Her role in the organization, along with a rather unpredictable and impulsive nature, means that she often finds herself in compromising situations, which gave Bettridge plenty of opportunities to show off her stunt capabilities. This job was something of a major introduction to the world of stunt performing for Bettridge, as Oldford's character was one of the main cast members in the series.

Christiaan Bettridge next appeared in the Netflix television series "Mako Mermaids." Also known as "Mako: Island of Secrets" in its native Australia, the show is a spin-off of "H2O: Just Add Water," which began airing in 2013 and lasted three seasons for a total of 68 episodes. As was the case with its predecessor, "Mako Mermaids" focuses on the transformation of children into mermaids. In this case, it's a teenage boy called Zac (Chai Hansen) who suddenly finds himself a merman after visiting Mako Island.

Bettridge is credited under "utility stunts" on the show, suggesting that she wasn't a double for another actor or involved in major stunts but was more involved in general safety and basic stunts. This role usually involves a range of activities such as dealing with fire and vehicles as well as diving — something that may well have been in heavy use in "Mako Mermaids," given the fact that much of the action takes place in water.

While it isn't clear exactly what Bettridge contributed to the series, she was part of a 27-person stunt team that included a number of safety divers and swimmers. Unlike many of the stunt performers, though, Bettridge is only credited in a single episode of the series.

Arguably the biggest moment of Christiaan Bettridge's career came in 2017 when she was part of the stunt team for Gal Gadot's "Wonder Woman." Under the name Christiaan Schodel, she worked alongside more than 200 people who were involved in stunts for the DC Extended Universe movie. Bettridge actually had two different credits in the film, acting as a stunt double for both Connie Nielsen, who played the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta, and Gal Gadot herself, as Wonder Woman.

The movie is one of the few entries in the DC Extended universe that found both commercial and critical success, grossing over $800 million at the box office. Set before "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Wonder Woman" follows the Amazonian princess Diana as she investigates the cause of World War I and tries to put a stop to the fighting to thwart the plans of her arch-rival Ares.

In an interview with Scholastic, Bettridge explained that she had loved superheroes growing up and had a particular affinity with Wonder Woman, making it something of a dream come true to be able to play the character. "I was a big fan of Wonder Woman when I was a kid," she explained. "I love that I get to pretend to be someone that I grew up wanting to be." For her work on "Wonder Woman," Bettridge received a 2018 Screen Actors Guild Award, although it was an honor she shared with the entire stunt department.

"Wonder Woman" was not the last time that Christiaan Bettridge doubled for Gal Gadot. In fact, it was not even the last time she helped portray Wonder Woman on the big screen. She returned to the role in 2017 for the Zack Snyder-directed "Justice League," and doubled for Gadot again three years later in "Wonder Woman 1984."

Now that James Gunn has taken the helm of the DC Universe, it is likely that Gadot's time as Wonder Woman is at an end. However, that doesn't mean that the actor and stunt performer will no longer work together. Bettridge has since acted as stunt double for Gadot in two Netflix movies: 2021's "Red Notice," alongside Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, as well as the 2023 film "Heart of Stone."

As part of a hashtag celebrating women, Gadot posted a behind-the-scenes image of herself and Bettridge. Accompanying the photo was a message praising the stunt performer for her work — a nice touch given how dangerous the job can be, especially since stunt actors have been killed performing movie scenes. "She's been with me since the first Wonder Woman and I know we have a long future together." Gadot wrote on Instagram. "She's always there by my side making sure I'm safe and at the same time taking the punches and getting thrown against walls. She's a mother, an athlete, and her movements are unlike anything I've seen before in a stunt performer."

One of the more recent films that Christiaan Bettridge has worked on is 2023's "Locked In." The Netflix-exclusive psychological thriller is largely told through the use of flashbacks, as a hospital nurse (Anna Friel) tries to help a patient recover from what is initially thought to be a coma but is actually revealed to be locked-in syndrome. The nurse works with the woman (Famke Janssen), whose name is Katherine, to bring her out of her paralysis and uncover both the events that led to her injury and her family's dark pasts.

This was the first time that Bettridge had acted as a stunt actor for someone other than Gal Gadot since the release of "Wonder Woman" in 2017, doubling this time for Famke Janssen. A person suffering from locked-in syndrome — who can't move anything but their eyes — sounds like a part that doesn't require much stunt work. But a pivotal flashback near the end of the movie shows how Katherine ends up in the hospital as her fellow conspirator and love interest, Robert (Alex Hassell), mows her down in his car.

Not content with remaining solely in the confines of the DC Extended Universe, Christiaan Bettridge has also crossed the street to work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "The Marvels," a sequel to 2019's "Captain Marvel," continued to follow Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, the titular superhero, while also featuring Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani as the new heroes Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan respectively. Samuel L. Jackson also returned as Nick Fury.

Unlike most of her other roles, Bettridge isn't credited as a stunt double for any particular actor. Instead, she is listed as a stunt performer. While the role of stunt double and stunt performer can be used interchangeably for the same position, it is likely here that Bettridge was not substituting solely for a single character but rather taking part in stunts for different actors when needed. Bettridge worked alongside noted performers such as Nicole Alphonce, Matthew Bell, and Marvin Campbell in the stunt department, as well as frequent Brie Larson stunt double Joanna Bennett.

It turns out that a past in dancing and sport may well have helped Christiaan Bettridge prepare for her current career as a stunt performer. Bettridge detailed to Scholastic how her former jobs have given her the tools to succeed in the world of Hollywood. In particular, she credited her time spent learning complex dances as aiding her in learning fight scenes. Both activities involve carefully choreographed routines that have to be followed exactly to ensure the timing is perfect.

"Many stunt performers used to be athletes, but being a former dancer helped me," explained Bettridge. "Every fight and stunt is choreographed — or planned out step-by-step. I master the moves quickly because I spent so many years learning dance routines." Bettridge also outlined some of the ways that she and her colleagues have to work hard when training with weapons like swords, and that her physical fitness from spending so much time in the gym when she was younger was a big help in these instances.

Bettridge went on to give words of encouragement to any youngsters who might be going through similar training, explaining that it instills useful skills for many future careers. She added: "You don't have to be an athlete or dancer forever. But training and working hard now will show you that you can do anything."

The life of a stunt performer means that they work behind the scenes and rarely have their face shown, as they are almost always standing in for an actor and are not supposed to be recognizable. But a lot of skill, determination, and hard work is necessary for what they do, and many people have little idea how stunts are actually pulled off in major movies and TV series or who the people responsible are. Fortunately, some interesting videos have surfaced that show exactly what it takes to be a stunt performer and how unbelievable stunts that don't look real are pulled off.

Christiaan Bettridge has contributed to two such videos in the past. The first is an Insider short called "How Flying Scenes Are Shot for Movies and TV," which looks at how stunt performers make characters seem as if they are actually flying through the air. The second is another Insider film, but this one is more of a longer, documentary-style video that shows the making of all aspects of action sequences and fight scenes in MCU films.

Titled "What Marvel Movies Look Like Behind The Scenes," the doc features brief appearances from Bettridge in which she talks about the process and shares footage of how the stunts look without visual effects. She has also discussed her work on "Wonder Woman 1984" on a panel with other stunt performers who have contributed to DC films and TV projects.

Even if you are completely unaware of Christiaan Bettridge as a stunt performer, there's a chance you may have seen her online. Her Instagram is active and has over 20,000 followers, with Bettridge not only providing a behind-the-scenes look at some of her work in Hollywood movies but also sharing other aspects of her life. Many of these posts include videos and images showing how she stays in shape and gets in condition to carry out her demanding stunts. Her routines range from workouts to hikes up mountain trails and forests.

Bettrdige is so passionate about keeping fit and staying in shape that she is launching her own on-demand personal training service that will be available through an app. According to Bettridge, the service will benefit from her years of experience not only working in stunts but also as a former dancer and athlete. She has also previously received instruction in a wide variety of skills that includes everything from martial arts to piloting cars and jet skis. Additionally, Bettridge is certified as a scuba diver and trained in the use of several types of weapons, seemingly giving her plenty of experience with which to teach a well-rounded approach to fitness.

Outside of her own work, Christiaan Bettridge may also be familiar to anyone who's heard of stunt performer and actor Andy Lister. The two have been in a relationship for several years, with Lister proposing to Bettridge in 2023, and the pair regularly post pictures together on social media as they travel around the world. They have also worked together on a number of films: He acted as a fight trainer for "Wonder Woman 1984," where Bettridge doubled for Gal Gadot, and was also involved in "The Marvels," on which he was credited as the assistant fight coordinator.

One of Lister's recent gigs found him collaborating with Bettridge again, as he was the assistant stunt coordinator for "Deadpool and Wolverine," working to choreograph some of the fight scenes in the film. He can also be spotted as one of the TVA agents who battle Deadpool at the start of the movie. He has also worked as a stunt double in various films for the likes of Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, and even Benedict Cumberbatch — proving that stunt doubles don't have to look like the actors they are standing in for.