Adam Driver has explained why Marvel’s X-Men finally got a yes after years of refusals: he grew up on the franchise and doesn’t want to spoil it. In a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor spoke about playing Mister Sinister in Marvel Studios’ reboot, as IGN reports.
The Star Wars sequel-trilogy star was long rumoured for Magneto, but the villain role went to him instead. Driver told Kimmel he was “a big X-Men fan” as a kid and that the animated series was “right in my generation”. He said he and his cousin Tony used to act out the characters, with Tony as Sabretooth and Driver as Wolverine. SuperHeroHype also covered the segment.
Kimmel pointed out that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has offered Driver several parts, and that he’s turned them all down. Driver said he liked those other projects, but this one “felt like the right time”. He credited director Jake Schreier, who also made Thunderbolts, and Feige for the pitch, adding that the script is “really cool”. We’ve covered the running joke of Feige’s attempts to land him, which now has an ending.
Asked why he’s so selective, Driver said a lot of people will watch the film and a bad performance is visible to all of them. “Plus, I don’t want to mess it up,” he added. “I’m a huge fan of X-Men.”
In the comics, Mister Sinister is the persona of Dr. Nathaniel Essex, a London biologist who wants to engineer a perfect race of superhumans. Driver smiled when Kimmel said the name, which suggests he’s looking forward to it. The role sits in a cast that, according to IGN, also includes Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey and Kit Connor as Cyclops. Our D23 cast rundown has the full reveal.
Who is Adam Driver playing in the X-Men reboot?
He plays Mister Sinister, the villain who, in the comics, is the persona of London biologist Dr. Nathaniel Essex. Driver had been rumoured for Magneto, but that wasn’t the role.
Who is directing the MCU X-Men movie?
Driver named Jake Schreier, who directed Marvel’s Thunderbolts, as the filmmaker he worked with on the project.
Has Adam Driver appeared in the MCU before?
No. Kimmel noted that Driver has turned down several offers from Kevin Feige, and X-Men is his first Marvel role.
