As fans eagerly await the theatrical debut of the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they can first look forward to their return on the small screen in Disney+’s X-Men ’97, a sequel of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series. Now, thanks to a reveal by show writer Beau DeMayo, fans know who they can expect to see Marvel’s team of mutants face off against, as classic X-Men foe Mister Sinister is confirmed as the show’s main antagonist. Speaking at the X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event on March 16, DeMayo announced the return of the villain, The Direct reports.
Mister Sinister, otherwise known as Nathaniel Essex, has yet to appear in live action, with multiple teases through Easter eggs in X-Men: Apocolypse, Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants failing to materialize in a big screen debut for the character. The villain did appear in the original X-Men: The Animated Series voiced by Christopher Britton, who will be reprising his role in the upcoming sequel. DeMayo named the character “a very, very, very, very favorite character of mine and many others”, before going on to tease fans with promise of “a pretty foolproof plan to destroy the X-Men once and for all.”
Sinister first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #221 in September of 1987, conceived by writer Chris Claremont and designed by artist Marc Silvestri, as a villainous geneticist and master of cloning. Obsessed with his work on the evolution of humankind and driven by grief following the death of his wife, the character was granted mutant powers by fellow X-Men foe, Apocalypse. The character has gone on to become one of the X-Men’s most notable recurring antagonists.
Mister Sinister Has Big Shoes to Fill
Sinister will be replacing longstanding main antagonist Magneto as the show’s primary villain, as that character instead becomes the one leading the team. This follows usual team leader Charles Xavier’s departure from Earth, with DeMayo again confirming the series to be in direct continuation of the original series, picking up “several months” following the end of season 5.
While no official announcements have been made on the X-Men’s return to the big screen in the MCU, X-Men ’97 marks Disney’s first project centering on the team following Marvel’s reacquisition of the screen rights to the characters from 20th Century Fox in 2019. X-Men ’97 will premiere on Disney+ this fall. Check out the trailer for X:Men: The Animated Series below:
