How Dogpool Went From ‘Britain’s Ugliest Dog’ to ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Star

There’s a lot of star power in Deadpool & Wolverine. Marvel Studios’ latest film features a stacked cast, including Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Rob Delaney, and Matthew Macfadyen. But the film also introduces a new hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — one of the four-legged, furry-tailed variety.

Deadpool & Wolverine marks the debut of Dogpool, played by a mixed breed pup named Peggy. The titular anti-heroes encounter Dogpool — aka Mary Puppins — on their journey through the multiverse, and Wade Wilson quickly bonds with his tiny canine counterpart.

In fact, it was Reynolds who first advocated for Peggy’s casting. “We did a global search, and Peggy beat out lots of contestants because of her sheer ugliness,” director Shawn Levy says with a laugh.

Before joining the cast of Deadpool & Wolverine, Peggy had some experience with the spotlight, having been named “Britain’s Ugliest Dog.” But she had never set foot (paw?) on a movie set before, and she quickly embraced her Super Hero training regimen.

“Peggy had never been trained to do anything,” Levy explains. “So once we found Peggy, she went into training for this movie. And she trained! Like, cut to the Rocky training montage. That’s how I imagine Peggy learning to run, learning how to hit a mark, learning how to look at something.”

“I am so proud of Peggy because when we first met her, she was so shy,” executive producer Wendy Jacobson adds. “She just wasn’t a social dog. It was a little scary, to be honest, because she was so perfect for the role. But as soon as she went through her training and she showed up on set, she knew she was a star. She’d just be sitting there in her costume, laying out and letting everyone walk by and admire her. She loved it.”

Peggy has since gotten used to the Hollywood life, walking the red carpet at the Deadpool & Wolverine worldwide premiere in New York City. As for her future career? Her director says she’s a born star.

“She’s got a tongue that looks CGI,” Levy says. “And it might be the greatest practical effect in this movie.”

Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters now.