X-Men Reboot May Eye Javier Bardem as Mister Sinister, Beau DeMayo Mad

A new X-Men MCU reboot cast rumor claims an award-winning actor is being considered for the main villain. However, not everyone, including a fired Marvel employee, is pleased with this potential casting decision.

The X-Men are reportedly set to play a key role in the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars. A recent report on The Fabelmans star Julia Butters being eyed to play Kitty Pryde also noted that Marvel Studios’ X-Men MCU reboot could begin production in 2026 for a late 2027 release. If so, fans can expect official casting decisions and other announcements in the coming months. While fans are excited about some of the names rumored to be considered for X-Men roles, a purported contender for the movie’s villain has upset some notable people.

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Scooper MyTimeToShineHello claims Marvel Studios is eyeing Academy Award winner Javier Bardem to play the villain Mister Sinister. On John Rocha and Jeff Sneider’s The Hot Mic, Sneider admitted that as much as he would love to “shoot down” MyTimeToShineHello’s report, the rumor of Bardem being a potential choice for Mister Sinister sounds “very true” since he knows how long Marvel Studios negotiated with Bardem to play Galactus in The Fantastic Four. Those negotiations didn’t work out and Ralph Ineson was ultimately cast as Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. But Sneider noted that it “totally makes” sense that Marvel Studios would return to Barden if they still want him to be part of the MCU and that he “completely” buys this X-Men casting rumor.

Bardem has received several accolades and nominations throughout his career, perhaps most notably for his performance as Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men. Yet despite his proven talent, as a Spanish actor, some feel Bardem is not the right fit for Mister Sinister. In the comics, Mister Sinister was born Nathaniel Essex in Victorian London, and many fans believe his English roots are essential to the character. Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo said casting Bardem as Mister Sinister would be “dumb if true.” DeMayo argued that Mister Sinister needs to be a handsome Englishman with “Dracula vibes,” saying former Superman actor Henry Cavill would be a good choice for the villain. When a fan suggested Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, DeMayo agreed the Oscar-winning actor would be a good choice but said he lacked the physical “presence” of the strong and enhanced Mister Sinister. “More and more, the #MCU is becoming celebrity cosplay over good casting choices that make sense for the story,” DeMayo wrote on Twitter.

In the comics, Minister Sinister is born into nobility and is a contemporary of Charles Darwin, which kickstarts his fixation on engineering humans into the perfect race. Some X-Men incarnations even depict Jack the Ripper as Minister Sinister’s creation who was tasked with harvesting organs for his mutant experiments. So, while Marvel Studios could change Mister Sinister’s backstory to accommodate Bardem’s Spanish nationality, too many alterations would arguably render the character “Mister Sinister” in name only.

Of course, just because Bardem is reportedly eyed for the Mister Sinister role doesn’t mean he’ll get it. Marvel Studios likely has multiple names under consideration. With the new X-Men era starting after Avengers: Secret Wars, which is scheduled to release in theaters in May 2027, fans will likely get definite answers about the MCU’s mutant plans soon.

Marvel Studios’ X-Men is in development.

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Source: MyTimeToShineHello, The Hot Mic, Beau DeMayo