There are certain comic book villains who never truly lose. Dr. Doom is a perfect example of this. Even when he’s defeated by the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, or Thor, Victor von Doom somehow comes out with something to claim victory. Whether it’s tech to build a better machine or learning a new weakness in his opponents, Doom never truly loses.
We're all going to see that play out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon, too, as Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the franchise to portray Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. He will serve as the Big Bad of the Multiverse Saga, which is expected to conclude with those films. And it's a great choice considering that Doom is a character who, like we said, rarely loses.
Another person in that category is the X-Men’s Doom, Nathaniel Essex a.k.a. Mr. Sinister.
Essex is compared to the most deplorable scientists in history. His ungodly experiments have left mutants, regular humans, and more disfigured, dead, or praying for death. He’s so smart and diabolical that even seeing his dead body isn’t enough to prove he’s gone because he always has a clone waiting in the winds. All of this makes him one of the most vile and unpredictable villains in comics.
Now, he is expected to be a future main villain in the MCU, and a new report claims that a major star could play the role.
Javier Bardem rumored to play Mr. Sinister in the MCU's X-Men movie
According to Marvel insider MyTimeToShineHello, Javier Bardem is being considered by Marvel Studios to play the role of Mister Sinister in the MCU. If that were to be the case, it would likely make him the Big Bad of the franchise's upcoming X-Men reboot movie.
A recent report from that same scooper supports this theory, suggesting that Sinister would serve as the main villain of the X-Men movies, quite possibly making him the Big Bad of the MCU's next chapter (which is rumored to The Mutants Era, focusing primarily on the X-Men).
Taking that into account, Mr. Sinister will undoubtedly be among the most important X-Men villains in Marvel Studios. If this is the case, he would need someone who could capture the larger-than-life aura, the arrogance, deplorable nature, and overall sassiness that is Nathaniel Essex. There is no doubt that Bardem, an Academy Award and Golden Globe winner, could be the casting we’ve been looking for.
Over the years, Sinister has gone from a no-nonsense antagonist to a Sassy Mr. Sinister. He loves fashion (especially capes) and has a response for every insult thrown at him. However, while his personality has changed, the results haven’t. He’s still managed to almost take over the universe twice (Sins of Sinister and later in Fall of X). Part of that is because his newer personality throws people off. Thankfully, the X-Men know he’s a threat no matter how ridiculous he can be. And that just showcases how important it is that Marvel gets this casting right.
If Bardem is the actor that the studio decides to go with, this could be among the more perfect castings we've seen. Besides being an award-winning performer, the star is recognizable for multiple age ranges. Whether it’s Eat Pray Love, either of the Dune movies, or 2007's No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem is someone that everyone's aware of. He's the perfect combination of star power, and acting prowess. And he would bring a certain gravitas to the role of Mister Sinister necessary for that character.
Hopefully, this goes from being a rumor to actually happening. It could be the pick that gets fans even more excited for the future of the X-Men (if that's possible).
Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out if he's cast.