LOS ANGELES—Four-time AVN Director of the Year Axel Braun today announced that the first scene of his latest superhero epic for the Wicked Comix imprint, Spideypool XXX: An Axel Braun Parody, is now available on Wicked.com.
The opening scene features Gamma exclusive contract performer Seth Gamble reprising his Best Actor-winning role as Deadpool in a passionate pairing with reigning AVN Best Leading Actress Kenna James as Mary Jane Watson. The all-new production marks Braun’s first parody since helming last year’s award-winning hit Black Widow XXX, recipient of the first Mark Stone Award for Outstanding Comedy, among many other trophies.
In Marvel fandom, Spideypool is shorthand for the popular "slash” teaming of Wade Wilson (Deadpool) and Peter Parker (Spider-Man). While Deadpool and Spider-Man’s relationship in the comic book canon has always been contentious, Wade is rarely all-out bad, and Peter always tries to see the good in people, character traits that have laid the foundation for a hilarious, if unlikely, superhero bromance in fan culture that’s inspired thousands of works of visual art and slash fiction ... but never in a live-action production. Until now.
“I feel so lucky,” enthused Braun, who has been head of production for Wicked since 2020 and an exclusive director since 2013. “I get to play in a sandbox with all these characters I love, and I can do things that mainstream is not allowed to, and I’m not just talking about the sex. Deadpool is an R-rated character, while Spidey is PG-13, and toning either down or up would totally alienate their core audiences, so they simply can’t make a Spideypool movie ... but at least I can make a parody of it!”
Spideypool XXX features many recurring members of the Marvel AxelVerse, beginning with Gamble, who’s returning to portray Deadpool for the fourth time.
“I’m a huge fan of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool,” admits Braun, “but Seth Gamble, to me, is the definitive version of Wade Wilson. He took this role and instead of simply doing an impersonation of Ryan he morphed it into his own by studying the comics to a degree where he could quote specific page numbers. He has an understanding of the character that is so complete, so thorough, that it’s almost scary. And of course, being the most talented actor in the industry, he brings to the plate comedic timing and improvisations that take the performance to a whole new level.”
“Reprising my role as Deadpool is always a blast,” said Gamble. ”This is my fourth time getting the opportunity to dig into being the merc with a mouth and I have to say that Spideypool XXX is by far the funniest movie I’ve ever done. It was a hilarious set, and I have to thank Axel Braun for once again inspiring everybody with his signature attention to detail and by bringing together such an amazing cast and crew of people. He’s my closest friend, and every single time I get to work with him it’s an unforgettable experience.”
In Marvel canon, Mary Jane Watson's greatest powers are her intelligence and determination, traits often on full display throughout many of her incarnations. The role is a perfect fit for James, a dedicated, intuitive performer who not only extensively researched the many iterations of the character, but cut her hair and dyed it red to perfect MJ’s canonical look.
“I am notorious for asking performers to alter their appearance for a role, there’s even a funny joke about it in the movie,” offers Braun, “and the truth is that I don’t do it out of a power trip or to feel like a mainstream director, I simply don’t like wigs. You can always tell when it’s a wig, and it cheapens the movie. The few times I have resorted to wigs was because that specific character in the comics wore one, like in the case of Charlotte Stokely as Batwoman or Jazy Berlin as Black Cat. The fact that a performer of the caliber and popularity of Kenna James, the reigning AVN Best Actress, didn’t even hesitate for a moment when I asked if she’d cut her bangs and dye her hair red, tells you all you need to know about her. She is a true professional, and her level of commitment is absolute. Mary Jane has never been done right in the movies, and I really wanted to do the character justice. Kenna did just that. Her MJ is perfect, and I can’t wait for the fans to see how brilliant she is in this role!”
“Working on Spideypool XXX as Mary Jane Watson was everything I could have hoped for and more,” enthused James. “It’s incredibly funny and it could not have been a more perfect cast! It is the must-see parody of the year!”
Her sex scene with Gamble is visceral and passionate, a gift to fans who’ve waited with bated breath to see these characters get together since they graced the cover of Deadpool #1 / The Amazing Mary Jane variant cover by Carlos Gomez and Jason Keith.
“Hands down, my favorite part about the first scene is I get to fuck Deadpool, that’s literally the dream,” gushed James. “Seth is such an amazing scene partner but this is definitely a new level of amazing! One of the best scenes of my entire career!”
“The sex scene with Kenna was amazing,” agreed Gamble. “It has always been a challenging task doing a sex scene in the Deadpool suit, but the chemistry with Kenna is always incredible and I have to say this particular role-play made it literally explosive.”
While some story details are being kept under wraps at press time to avoid spoilers, the plot of the movie involves traveling back in time to undo the events of the movie’s first scene. And, of course, chimichangas.
Boyishly handsome 2022 AVN/XRCO Best Male Newcomer nominee Tyler Cruise is taking over the coveted role of Spider-Man, an inspired choice with big spandex shoes to fill as acclaimed actor Xander Corvus portrayed Peter Parker for Braun no less than seven times (a feat surpassed only by Ryan Driller, who’s played Superman in the DC AxelVerse a record eight times).
“Xander has been under contract with another company for a few years now, so unfortunately I couldn’t have him. Finding a new Spidey wasn’t easy, I literally auditioned dozens of performers, and some of them were pretty good, but once I sat down with Tyler, I realized that he was the only one who could pull it off, which he did in spades!" Braun said. "It’s a different incarnation than Xander’s, and it’s also different from any of the mainstream portrayals, and it’s absolutely amazing. His Spider-Man is so funny and complements Deadpool perfectly. Of course, Seth, being who he is, took Tyler under his wing and helped him gain the confidence he needed. They rehearsed incessantly and together found the rhythm to bring out the dynamic you’d expect from these characters. I’m extremely happy with Tyler and I know the fans will be too!”
“I am so excited for today's release of Spideypool XXX,” offered Cruise. “Playing Spider-Man was a dream come true and I know the fans are going to love this movie, there is lots of great sex and an awesome story that involves Deadpool and I attempting to reverse time. The entire experience on set was a blast, especially getting to work with Axel, Seth and literally the biggest names in the industry. This is the biggest project I’ve ever worked on and I’m honored to be able to finally share the end result with my fans.”
For his part, Gamble couldn’t be more pleased to see Cruise become the web-slinging superhero. “I’m very impressed with Tyler! He’s a great kid and a terrific performer, he delivered Spidey to perfection, and I’m really excited for everyone to get to see our ‘dynamic duo’ on screen for the first time.”
James Bartholet returns for the third time as well, in his trademark non-sex role as James LeBlow, the hilarious if hapless super-agent who gets killed in each of his appearances, yet keeps coming back for more. And as the Axelverse is known for its “meta” leanings, fans can look forward to hysterical cameo appearances from both Braun himself and his longtime production manager Marc Kramer.
“James is a classically trained thespian who has played many comedic roles for me over the years,” said Braun, “but holy shit, this is by far the funniest he’s ever been! His James LeBlow is so over the top and so hysterical that we had to reshoot most of his dialogue several times because everybody on set (especially me) kept cracking up. And having my friend and PM Marc Kramer play an exaggerated version of himself was a hoot! Marc is a 25-year veteran of the industry who has produced some of the biggest movies ever, including many of mine, and his acting prowess may be the biggest surprise of the movie! I’m just lucky that I got to surround myself with my close friends and with people who really cared about this project. We had a fantastic time shooting it and it definitely shows on the screen!”
Entering his 33rd year in the industry, Axel Braun's comic-book-geek passion for his parodies has transcended porn so much that when Andrew Garfield was asked by Hollywood.com how he prepared for the titular role in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, he cited Braun’s Spider-Man XXX as one of his inspirations.
The premiere episode of Spideypool XXX: An Axel Braun Parody, featuring Seth Gamble and Kenna James, premieres today exclusively on Wicked.com.
