X-Men’s Pyro Details Role in Dead and Wolverine

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated Jul 3, 2024 5:00 PM ET

Deadpool and Wolverine is stuffed full of cameos, and one of the most anticipated is the return of Aaron Stanford as Pyro.

Now, Stanford has spoken about reprising his role for the first time in 18 years, including how he finally got to wear a proper superhero costume.

“I was just very happy to even have a costume,” Stanford said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In the original ‘X-Men’ films, Pyro gets really short-changed in terms of a costume.”

Disney, Marvel

Stanford debuted as the fire-manipulating mutant in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, and featured in its 2006 sequel X-Men: The Last Stand. But Deadpool and Wolverine marks the first time he gets to wear a custom-made outfit.

“In X2,” Stanford continues, “we start off with Pyro in Xavier’s School for Gifted Mutants. The SWAT team bursts in in the middle of the night and we have to flee. So for half the movie, I’m in my jammies. I never got the cool leather, tactical suit that all the X-Men wear. And in X3, I was just dressed in an ensemble from Hot Topic, basically. So to have him be in a proper superhero costume that was actually taken from the comics themselves was very cool.”

While Stanford 18-year gap between Pyro roles is impressive, one character has him beat: Sabretooth. The nemesis of Wolverine, as played by Tyler Mane, debuted in the original X-Men film back in 2000, meaning there’s a 24-year gap between appearances.

Deadpool and Wolverine opens in theaters July 26 from Disney. Check out the Deadpool and Wolverine early reactions to “hilarious” first footage.

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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