Why Olivia Munn Passed on a Part in Deadpool – and Almost Turned Down Her Role in X-Men: Apocalypse

Could Psylocke have locked lips with Ryan Reynolds?

Olivia Munn is ready to tear things up in the forthcoming X-Men: Apocalypse (she literally is – check out her slice-and-dice skills in the trailer). But in an alternate Marvel universe, she could have kicked ass in a wholly different superhero movie.

The actress, 35, reveals to American Airlines’ American Way magazine that she turned down an offer to be in Reynolds’ blockbuster-in-waiting Deadpool. Why? Because she didn’t want to play the part of the girlfriend.

What she was looking for, apparently, was action – and lots of it.

In a fortuitous bit of superhero switcheroo, Munn ended up taking on the role of telepath Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse after filmmakers assured her that the purpled-haired mutant would have “an important presence” in the movie.

Munn, for her part, had one overarching requirement.

“I said, ‘Is there a fight scene?’ ” she says she asked producers, adding, “The fight scene … could be her monologue.”

“I thought Psylocke was always one of the most lethal characters,” the actress explains of the sword-wielding heroine, “and I said, ‘Yes, as long as you’re not using her to be the eye candy. She has really powerful abilities.’ And they said, ‘Yes, that’s an important part.’ ”

Fans can size up just how important Psylocke is to the X-Men – and their frearsome, godlike nemesis Apocalypse – when the film rushes theaters on May 27.