Adam Driver Will Play Mister Sinister in Marvel's X-Men Reboot
Adam Driver will play Mister Sinister in Marvel's X-Men reboot, a fresh start for the franchise with a new cast. Variety reports that he will play Dr. Nathaniel Essex, the film's main villain, a superintelligent, shape-shifting telepath who can read minds.
Driver has turned down a lot of Marvel work over the years. He explained his decision to join on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying he had been selective about the Marvel Cinematic Universe because so many people watch it, and he did not want to mess it up.
Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, has his own version of the story. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Feige said that offering Driver a Marvel role, and then hearing him turn it down on Zoom, had become a tradition. This time the answer was yes.
Driver named three reasons. He pointed to the idea from director Jake Schreier, the involvement of Feige, and the script. Yahoo Entertainment reports that Feige offered him the part.
The film is taking shape around a cast that Marvel unveiled at its D23 fan event in August. Sadie Sink will play Jean Grey, Inde Navarrette will play Rogue, Kit Connor will play Cyclops, and Christopher Abbott will play Charles Xavier. Maya Boyd will play Storm, and Asa Germann will play Angel. The Associated Press reported the Driver and Navarrette casting on August 15.
The studio has set the release date. Variety reported in August that Marvel's X-Men reboot will open on May 5, 2028, in theatres.
For fans, the news is a clear picture of the villain. Mister Sinister is one of the oldest and most recognised enemies in the X-Men comics, and Driver is now the actor who will bring him to the screen. Marvel has not said how much of the character's history the film will follow.
Driver's arrival also says something about how big franchise films get cast. Studios make offers to many names, and the actors who say yes often do so after months of talks, script reading and meetings with the director. This one took years to close.
