Disney announced that there will be a new movie about the X-Men, featuring new actors. In this context, they also announced a new villain who will be played by Adam Driver. But he is such a nasty piece of work that even Thanos would be shocked.
Which villain is it about? At D23 2026, Disney announced several things, including a new X-Men movie, set to be released in May 2028. As the first announcement, they brought the cast on stage, including Sadie Sink as Jean Grey and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost (Source: Marvel.com).
In a video, Kylo Ren actor Adam Driver surprised the audience by announcing he would play a character named Nathaniel Milbury. Comic book enthusiasts might recognize this name, as it is likely one of the most sinister characters from the Marvel universe.
Mutants will also appear in Avengers: Doomsday:
A Devious Geneticist
Who is Nathaniel Milbury? Although the name was not explicitly mentioned, in the Marvel universe Nathaniel Milbury is an alias for the villain Nathaniel Essex, better known as Mister Sinister. Originally, Dr. Nathaniel Essex was a scientist from the 19th century.
He was obsessed with the theory of evolution and could even foresee the emergence of mutants. Through his research, he eventually encountered one of the first mutants, the villain Apocalypse. After his wife left him due to his unethical views and an experiment on their deceased son, Apocalypse transformed him into a being whose humanity was almost entirely stripped away.
Nathaniel was so insane that he created 4 clones before his death, all of whom were unaware of each other. The most famous of these has a diamond symbol on his forehead and is known as Mister Sinister
.
What makes Mister Sinister particularly evil? Mister Sinister is a ruthless but genius geneticist who will do anything to continue his research. He is willing to use any means necessary and has a particular interest in mutants and the X-Men. Therefore, he repeatedly stole their DNA, manipulated it for his own interests, or even cloned them. Some of his worst deeds include:
- Collaboration with Nazi scientists during World War II
- He experimented on mutants in an orphanage to observe their development
- Mister Sinister orchestrated the annihilation of a group of mutants, of whom only a few survived
- He created Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey, who fell in love with Cyclops and they even had a son together. When the real Jean appeared, she went insane and became the Goblin Queen, a threat to the X-Men
Accidentally
released the Legacy Virus, a deadly virus for mutants that could also infect non-mutants when modified- Torture and experiments on various mutants, such as Wolverine, Magik, or Nightcrawler
Although he hasn’t had as many living beings on his conscience as Thanos, he has no other goals besides his research and, as his name suggests, does everything with a certain malevolence, that even puts Thanos in the shadow.
Mister Sinister is not even remotely human anymore
How powerful is Mister Sinister? Apocalypse genetically transformed Nathaniel into a superhuman, but Mister Sinister has constantly upgraded
himself. He regularly stole mutant DNA to improve himself. As a result, he has acquired some useful abilities:
- He can control every molecule of his body and transform into something else. He even disguised himself as a child in an orphanage
- Mister Sinister has enhanced healing, superhuman strength, endurance, and reflexes
- Additionally, he possesses powerful telepathy, which allows him not only to read thoughts but also to control them
- Telekinesis is also in his repertoire, enabling him to attack or levitate
Besides that, he is also a genius scientist and surgeon, who obviously does not use his skills for good. He wants to create the perfect mutant, which is why he has been collecting and archiving DNA for centuries.
How might he work as a villain in the MCU? Mister Sinister is a good villain to introduce mutants and the X-Men, considering how intertwined his life is with that of the X-Men. However, it could also tell his journey to becoming a wicked villain.
Do you know Mister Sinister and which villain should the MCU introduce next? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Being a mutant is a huge burden in the Marvel universe, especially when you get the wrong ability: A teenager is the most tragic mutant in the Marvel universe, despite having a powerful ability
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