According to insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios will be giving Magneto a break in the upcoming X-Men reboot. Instead, Mister Sinister is the MCU’s top choice to antagonize the mutant team. Mr. Sinister was confirmed as one of the main antagonists in Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, potentially to familiarize audiences with him before his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although Mr. Sinister has yet to appear in a live-action X-Men movie, Jon Hamm almost played him in the 2020 film, The New Mutants.
Mister Sinister. Image Credit: Marvel Comics
Over the years, the inclusion of the X-Men into the MCU has been a topic of discussion among fans as well as critics. And with Mister Sinister at the frontline, the X-Men reboot promises a seamless blend of the new and the familiar, potentially tying into existing MCU storylines while establishing a distinct narrative arc for the mutants.
Mister Sinister to be the Main Villain in X-Men Reboot
Mister Sinister. Image Credit: Marvel Comics
Marvel Studios is facing many challenges after Avengers: Endgame which has led to significant changes in their projects. Some of them have been scrapped, while others have been overhauled with new creative teams or extensive reshoots, like Daredevil: Born Again and Captain America: Brave New World.
Insider Daniel Richtman recently shared about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future, stating that Kang will remain the villain in Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars, despite Jonathan Majors’ firing from the MCU following his conviction in domestic violence. Though no news has been out yet, the Marvel Studios is also reportedly looking to add another villain. Additionally, Doctor Doom may also appear in upcoming movies.
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Marvel Studios is considering a big bad for the rebooted X-Men franchise, with Mister Sinister set to take center stage. He’s expected to be a big part of X-Men ’97, likely meaning Marvel Studios is using the animated revival as a means of familiarizing fans with Nathaniel Essex. The move is seen as a wise move, as Magneto has been done to death on screen.
Who Is Mister Sinister?
Mister Sinister. Image Credit: Marvel Comics
Created by Chris Claremont, Mister Sinister is a Marvel Comics supervillain and was first introduced as the employer of the Marauders in The Uncanny X-Men #212. He was later seen in silhouette in The Uncanny X-Men #213. Mr. Sinister’s first full appearance was in The Uncanny X-Men #221 in September 1987 which was designed by Marc Silvestri.
Mr. Sinister, born Nathaniel Essex in Victorian London, is a villain who uses agents and manipulation to manipulate humanity into a perfect race of superhumans. Inspired by Charles Darwin, he becomes obsessed with engineering humanity into a perfect race of superhumans. Essex meets mutant villain Apocalypse, who uses alien Celestial technology to transform him into an ageless man with super-powers.
Sinister increases his power through self-experimentation and develops a protective attitude towards mutant heroes Cyclops and Jean Grey, believing their DNA can create the ultimate mutant. This leads to repeated clashes with the X-Men and related teams. Sinister’s body has been destroyed multiple times, but he survives through regenerative abilities or by transferring his mind into new host bodies or clones.
Several co-existing Mr. Sinister clones formed a community, but we’re later destroyed. However, one clone born with an X-gene survived and continues to operate to this day. Mr. Sinister is often associated with characters like Apocalypse, Cable, and Madelyne Pryor, and is the leader of the Marauders team.
Mr. Sinister has also featured in associated Marvel merchandise including animated television series, toys, trading cards, and video games. IGN’s list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Sinister as #29. In 1993, Mr. Sinister made his television debut on the animated series, X-Men in the first two episodes of season 2, voiced by Christopher Britton, exposing the character to a wider audience. Mister Sinister appears in the 2009 animated series, Wolverine and the X-Men, voiced by Clancy Brown.
