Marvel Studios gave us one of the greatest villains that cinema has ever seen in Thanos. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to complex, gripping villains, with the likes of Loki, The Vulture, and the Winter Soldier all earning the franchise appreciation from fans. But the amount of care it took in the storytelling department when building up to Thanos' introduction, and the way that all involved nailed his characterization, it was impossible not to fear him whenever he finally confronted the Avengers.
The Infinity Saga's conclusion brought an end to Thanos but it also set the stage for a new villain to take over as the MCU's Big Bad. It was initially set to be Kang the Conqueror, who would operate as the Multiverse Saga's main villain, but he was eventually replaced by Doctor Doom (who will be played by the returning Robert Downey Jr.). And yet, the Multiverse Saga is heading towards its conclusion, which will set the stage for the next chapter's storyline, and the villain at the heart of it.
A new report has now claimed that an infamous, and yet unexpected, character will serve as a main villain in one of the MCU's upcoming titles, and that could make them the next Thanos-level threat.
Mister Sinister reportedly set to be the main villain of the MCU's X-Men movies
According to established Marvel scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Mister Sinister is set to be the main villain of the MCU's X-Men movies. The character, a longtime foe of the X-Men, has yet to receive a fully-fledged live-action adaptation, so to do so as the main antagonist of the MCU's X-Men movie series would be a major milestone for the legendary Marvel Comics villain.
While this has not yet been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, it is a likely possibility, as Mister Sinister is one of the X-Men's most famous foes - and one of the biggest who didn't get the chance to play a role in the previous Fox film series focused on the Mutants. And if it is the case, it could very well position Sinister as the franchise's next Thanos-level threat.
There is an X-Men movie in development at Marvel Studios, so we know that the mighty mutants are on their way to the iconic franchise. However, what's even more exciting is that Kevin Feige has confirmed that the next storyline the studio will tackle is "The Mutants Era", with the X-Men at the heart of the franchise going forward. And if Sinister will serve as their primary antagonist, this likely means that he will have an overarching presence in their arc.
As great as it will be to see Sinister on the silver screen, some fans have considered him an unexpected choice for a potential main villain. There were previous rumors that longtime X-Men foe-turned-ally Magneto would once again have a villainous presence in the MCU's Mutants Era (which could very well still happen), while others have suggested that the mutants' archenemy Apocalypse will be at the heart of the era instead.
But Sinister would be a welcome surprise given that he is something of an outside-the-box choice. Nathaniel Essex is certainly one of the X-Men's main antagonists, and his rich, unique history - both on his own and with his longtime foes - makes him an intriguing, welcome choice for the MCU's next potential Thanos.
Sinister is always planning something. A long-running arc in the MCU as its next potential villain could well give him the opportunity to do it on the screen now, too.