Movies News Talk
For one potent X-men villain that never materialized in Fox's superhero series, Marvel Studios has a special chance to bring an incredible casting choice to life. Heroes in Fox's X-Men series faced a wide range of strong adversaries between 2000's X-Men and 2020's The New Mutants including Magneto, Apocalypse, Sebastian Shaw, and William Stryker. One villain, though, who was constantly teased for several years never had the chance to make his live-action debut; but, the next X-Men reboot in the MCU will correct this big lost opportunity.
Plans for 20th Century Fox included the legendary Marvel villain Mister Sinister, dating going back as long as X-men: First Class in 2011. Originally the villain of First Class, screenwriter Zack Stentz explained to Fanboy Podcast in 2019 that Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw finally took front stage. Later teased in X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan, Deadpool 2, and The New Mutants, Sinister and Essex Corp. never showed up in live-action. One actor was even in the running to portray Mister Sinister and might still bring the supervillain into the MCU.
Rumor had claimed that Mister Sinister might have debuted at the end of 2020's The New Mutants, the last film in Fox's X-Men series, which came out once Disney's takeover of the studio was finalized 2019. This never happened, but in a March 2022 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Mad Men actor Jon Hamm discussed claims that he would have portrayed the Victorian-era geneticist fascinated with mutants and their powers. Though he said he was in conversation, Hamm said he "never shot anything."
After years of Fox hyping the villain, Jon Hamm's debut as Mister Sinister in The New Mutants would have offered the ideal pay-off. After the Essex Corp bought Wolverine's blood, Apocalypse concluded with this company—named for Nathaniel Essex, Sinister's human identity—reappearing in the films preceding The New Mutants. Though Marvel Studios could resurrect Jon Hamm's prospects as Mister Sinister in the MCU, he would have been ideal in this role, so it is even more of a tragedy he never got to highlight his talents as the famous X-Men villain.
The Hollywood Reporter said in a recent cover story on Jon Hamm that the actor still wants to play a superpowered MCU character. Continuating a trend from a 2023 interview with Screen Rant which saw him assert his interest in participating in the MCU's forthcoming X-Men or The Fantastic Four movies, Hamm added that he "pitched [himself] for a couple parts of the Marvel Universe." Marvel Studios has the ideal opportunity to bring back this outstanding casting choice in the MCU proper considering the actor's past ties to Mister Sinister.
Often portrayed as a tall, dark, and attractive villain, Nathaniel Essex—also known as Mister Sinister—is a quite horrible monster. Perhaps inspired by his more morally-gray, malevolent, and superpowered roles—including Don Draper in Mad Men, Gabriel in Good Omens, and Paul Marks in The Morning Show—Sinister is an immensely charismatic character Jon Hamm might portray in the MCU. Hamm's background in drama, humor, and even science fiction qualifies him especially for the Mister Sinister post in the MCU, hence hoping this outstanding casting choice will be restored.
The eventual debut of the venerable Marvel mutant superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a tentative title: Marvel's X-Men. Fans are much looking forward the X-Men's entrance into the MCU and what fresh stories would develop as well as how these cherished characters would be presented within the shared universe. With an opportunity to investigate new narratives, introduce new characters, and extend the mythology of mutants inside the MCU, the X-Men reboot of the MCU presents a fresh viewpoint on these venerable characters.
Including Mister Sinister in the X-Men MCU film would give the story still another level of mystery and depth. For the X-Men, his past of altering mutants and his desire to produce a better race could set interesting problems and obstacles. Jon Hamm is a perfect fit for this legendary part because of his past relationship to Mister Sinister and his skill in capturing difficult and intriguing people. Mister Sinister's inclusion into the MCU's X-Men might be a big highlight since it gives the franchise an exciting and erratic turn.