Portland: Illustrator a part of Deadpool and Wolverine crew

Sophie Fretwell, a 29-year-old artist and costume designer said it was ‘amazing’ to have worked as part of the crew for the 2024 production, Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Pirate Pool, illustrated by Sophie Fretwell (Image: Sophie Fretwell/Graham Churchyard Marvel/Disney) Miss Fretwell was a costume illustrator for the project, and her designs have been included in an artwork book which accompanies the film for fans to get a deeper insight to the movie. 

The book includes her illustrations of Deadpool variants Maid Pool, Zombie Pool and Pirate Pool. 

Sophie Fretwell, with the art book from the Deadpool and Wolverine film (Image: Sophie Fretwell) Speaking about how she got involved with the project, Miss Fretwell, said: “I have been working as a costume illustrator since leaving university, and I eventually got to work on the show Good Omens as part of their team.

“When you start in the business you get to know the designers, and that’s when I got to know Graham Churchyard, who got me involved with the Deadpool and Wolverine film.

Maid Pool, illustrated by Sophie Fretwell (Image: Sophie Fretwell) The third film involving Deadpool sees the hero, played by Ryan Reynolds, trying to escape his superhero past until the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Time Variance Authority becomes out of control. This is when he drags Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, into his timeline in a bid to save the day. The movie became the eighth-biggest opening ever in US box office history following its release.

Speaking about what the project entailed, Miss Fretwell said she had to create different variations of the comic book character, Deadpool, for one of its quirkier scenes.

She said: “I worked on a few side characters but I knew we needed a lot of Deadpool variations, and had to act fast so we were just coming up with silly ideas that were really fun. One had a paper plate on his face. Obviously Pirate Pool and Maid Pool too. A couple definitely made it into the final film - the futuristic Deadpool variant did.”

A Marvel movie buff, Miss Fretwell explained how it felt to work on the movie starring the likes of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

She said: “It’s pretty great - young me would be losing my mind at being able to illustrate costumes for some of my favourite characters.

Sophie Fretwell/Graham Churchyard Marvel/Disney (Image: Sophie Fretwell/Graham Churchyard Marvel/Disney) “It was amazing, and it gives you a little kick seeing these things come to life in films. I went to watch the film with my boyfriend and my mum and we were just keeping our eyes out for all the different variants.”

Miss Fretwell is also included in the movies credits, saying: “Yes, my name is next to Hugh Jackman’s face, as requested.”

She added that she never knows what she will be designing next, and hinted that she had already been working with Mr Churchyard with regards to a new sequel to the horror movie, The Conjouring.