Daniel Craig Rumored for Mr. Sinister Role in Gambit Movie

Sinister. Mister Sinister.

This is still only a rumor, but we couldn’t be more excited by the possibility that James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, might be on the short list to play the villain Nathaniel Essex, aka Mr. Sinister, in the Gambit movie spinning off of Fox’s X-Men movie franchise. Mr. Sinister — a nefarious, centuries-old shape-shifting geneticist — is a great character on the printed page, but his effete look and personality always seemed like an obstacle to actualizing him on the big screen so we were less-than-enthused when he heard that he would be Gambit’s (Channing Tatum) primary antagonist. Craig, however, has a steely harshness to him that could temper some of Mr. Sinister’s character and make him seem like a true threat.

Initially, Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) was said to be directing Gambit, but he bowed out and Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) took the job before also exiting the stalled spinoff. Frank Darabont (The Mist) was mentioned as a possible director as recently as September, but the latest has Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) “making a deal” with Fox to helm the movie.

Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, is a smooth-talking former thief and mutant hailing from New Orleans whose super power is the ability to charge items — typically playing cards — with energy, which he then throws as explosive projectiles. Gambit was a long-time X-Men and lover to Rogue, the Southern Belle mutant who can absorb the powers and memories of anyone she touches.