Credit: Inside the MagicWho might this star play?
Related: Upcoming MCU ‘X-Men’ Movie: Every Character Confirmed
With Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man making the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Chris Evans concluding his portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America by symbolically passing on the mantle, a significant opportunity now arises for new superhero teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men to take on prominent roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
During Super Bowl LVIII, Marvel Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company, made a major announcement: the highly anticipated third installment of the Deadpool film series, formerly known as Deadpool 3, has been renamed Deadpool & Wolverine.
Ryan Reynolds, known for his portrayal of Deadpool/Wade Wilson (self-dubbed “Marvel Jesus”), will team up with his “frenemy” Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in the Fox X-Men Universe under 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox). The duo will help transition the X-Men franchise into Disney’s MCU under the leadership of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
Related: Fans Uncover Possible Reason Behind Disney’s Sudden Firing of ‘X-Men’ Creator
With the MCU set to see a huge shakeup following the firing of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors, one unconventional Hollywood star is confirming that he is keen to join the Marvel universe, and has been in conversation with the powers-that-be (AKA Disney) about roles within the Marvel Comics-inspired world.
Jon Hamm Talks Superheroes
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the actor who portrayed the iconic Don Draper from AMC’s Mad Men (2007 to 2015).
The Good Omens star explains how he has turned down many traditional “leading man” roles for more varied, interesting roles and experiences. When probed on the parts he passed on, Hamm shared that — in fact, he has actually pitched roles for himself to Marvel and DC, being a big comic book fan:
Yeah. And it’s not like they were saying, “We want you to be Iron Man.” But there were a lot of conversations, and I’m still in those. I talk to the guys that run Marvel and DC. And I’m a comic book nerd. So, we’ll see. Even that part of the industry is changing.
This is certainly interesting as Hamm has been rumored to play the X-Men franchise’s Mister Sinister/Dr. Nathaniel Essex in the past — particularly, in the Fox days — one of the series’ most iconic and terrifying villains.
Asked whether he had actually passed on the 2011 Green Lantern project (that eventually cast Ryan Reynolds, to not much success), Hamm expands:
That was one I definitely didn’t want to do. But I’ve pitched myself for a couple parts of the Marvel universe, I don’t want to say what exactly, but it was a part of a comic book that I really liked. I was like, “Are you going to do this story?” And they were like, “Yeah, we’re actually thinking of that.” I go, “Good. I should be the guy.”
In fact, considering that Hamm appears to be in contact with Marvel’s higher-ups, and considering Marvel Studios’ most recent X-Men project, Disney+ (Disney Plus) original X-Men ’97 (2024), a direct continuation of the 1990s hit Marvel television show X-Men: The Animated Series had Mister Sinister as the main villain of the Marvel TV series, it’s likely that Marvel is keen to bring someone rumored for Fox’s X-Men franchise into the MCU proper.
Do you think Jon Hamm could join the MCU? Would he make a good Mister Sinister, or should he play someone else? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on the X-Men Franchise
Key figures in the X-Men dynamics included Patrick Stewart as Professor X/Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr, Halle Berry as Storm/Ororo Munroe, Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey, James Marsden as Cyclops/Scott Summers, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique/Raven Darkholme, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, and Anna Paquin as Rogue/Anna Marie LeBeau, among others.
Subsequent films like X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) explored prequel storylines, incorporating themes of time travel and featuring younger versions of key characters such as Professor Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique, played by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence, respectively.
The Fox X-Men movie series culminated with X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019), before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties.