Honestly, if you’ve been paying attention to global cinema lately, you’ve definitely seen Shioli Kutsuna. You might not have realized it was the same person while jumping from a gritty Marvel blockbuster to a slow-burn sci-fi series on Apple TV+, but that’s kind of her superpower. She’s ubiquitous yet chameleonic.
Most people know her as Yukio. You know, the bubbly mutant with the purple hair and the chain-sickle who says "Hi Wade!" in Deadpool 2 and the 2024 record-breaker Deadpool & Wolverine. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Kutsuna isn't just "the girl from Deadpool." She’s an Australian-born, Japanese-raised powerhouse who has been working since she was 14.
The Breakout: From Pocky Princess to Marvel
Before she was dodging multiversal threats, Kutsuna was a literal "Pocky Princess." She won a major beauty contest in Japan back in 2006, which launched her into a whirlwind of Japanese dramas (J-Dramas) and commercials.
But here’s the thing. A lot of child stars stay boxed in. Kutsuna didn't. She spent years building a massive resume in Japan before Hollywood even knew her name. We’re talking about projects like Beck (2010), where she played the female lead in a rock band story, and the live-action Detective Conan specials where she took over the iconic role of Ran Mori.
Key Japanese Roles You Probably Missed:
- Unforgiven (2013): This wasn't the Clint Eastwood version. It was a Japanese remake set in the Hokkaido frontier. Kutsuna played Natsume, and her performance was haunting. It proved she could handle heavy, period-piece drama alongside legends like Ken Watanabe.
- 125 Years Memory (2015): A massive co-production between Japan and Turkey. She played two different roles here. This film earned her a Japan Academy Film Prize nomination, basically the Japanese Oscars.
- Sanctuary (2023): If you haven't seen this sumo wrestling drama on Netflix, go watch it. Kutsuna plays a cynical reporter, Asuka, who provides the "outsider" perspective on the traditional world of sumo. It’s a masterclass in grounded, modern acting.
Why "Invasion" Changed Everything
While Deadpool gave her the "cool factor," the Apple TV+ series Invasion gave her the emotional depth that international audiences finally started to notice.
📖 Related: Big Brother 27 Morgan: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
In Invasion, she plays Mitsuki Yamato, a JAXA ground controller who loses the love of her life during the initial alien arrival. It’s a performance mostly in Japanese, even for a global show. That’s rare. Usually, Hollywood forces international actors to speak English immediately. Mitsuki, however, feels like a real person grieving in her native tongue, and Kutsuna’s ability to convey that heartbreak made her the standout of the series.
The show just finished its third season in late 2025, and Mitsuki’s arc has gone from a grieving tech expert to a pivotal "alien whisperer" figure. It’s easily some of the best work in the Shioli Kutsuna movies and tv shows catalog because it refuses to treat her character as a trope.
The Kojima Connection and 2026
So, what’s happening right now? As of early 2026, the buzz around Kutsuna has shifted from the screen to the controller.
She is a lead in Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. If you know Kojima, you know he doesn't just hire "voice actors." He uses full motion capture and digital likenesses to create cinematic experiences. Kutsuna plays a character named Rainy. Seeing her digital avatar alongside Elle Fanning and Norman Reedus is a massive deal for her career—it places her in the center of the "Prestige Gaming" world.
👉 See also: The Lil Wayne Tracklist for Tha Carter 3: What Most People Get Wrong
There are also rumors swirling about her next big-screen move. After the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel fans are clamoring for a "X-Force" or "Young Avengers" type spin-off. While nothing is set in stone, she’s become a fan favorite.
Beyond the Screen: The Hybrid Identity
What makes her career trajectory so fascinating is her background. Born in Sydney, Australia, she moved to Japan as a teenager. She’s fluent in both English and Japanese, but she doesn't fit the typical "expat" mold.
She actually dropped out of university to focus on acting full-time. That’s a risky move in the Japanese entertainment industry, which can be pretty rigid. But it paid off. She’s managed to bridge the gap between "Japanese Idol" and "Global Film Star" without losing her identity in the process.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think Deadpool 2 was her first movie. Not even close. By the time she met Ryan Reynolds, she had already been in over 20 TV shows and a dozen films in Japan. She wasn't a newcomer; she was a veteran who happened to be new to the US.
✨ Don't miss: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
Also, people often confuse her with other Japanese actresses who do action. Kutsuna actually does a lot of indie, quiet dramas. If you only see her as Yukio, you’re missing the range she showed in films like Petal Dance (2013) or Oh Lucy! (2017).
What’s Next for Shioli Kutsuna?
If you want to dive deeper into her work, start with Invasion for the drama and Unforgiven for the grit. For 2026, keep your eyes on the release of Death Stranding 2.
The industry is watching to see if she’ll lead a major Hollywood film on her own soon. She’s already proven she can hold her own in an ensemble. The next logical step is a "Shioli Kutsuna Movie" where she’s top of the call sheet. Given her track record, it’s probably only a matter of months before that announcement drops.
To stay ahead of her upcoming releases, check the official Apple TV+ press site for any Invasion spin-off news and follow the Kojima Productions updates for the latest on her role as Rainy.