It’s Friday, you’ve earned a little baseless speculation about Giancarlo Esposito being in the MCU
Esposito says his upcoming MCU role is "better than you can imagine" and coming "sooner than you think"
Aux News Unknown
Giancarlo Esposito isn’t shy when it comes to talking up his own potential superhero roles—memorably telling a con crowd back in 2022 that he was putting the fervently fan-endorsed idea of himself playing Professor X for the Marvel Cinematic Universe “out in the universe.” (Meanwhile, looking back at that story, we’re mostly struck by how long Disney has let that particular branch of casting remain as a question mark at this point.) Now, the former Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star has confirmed that he’ll soon be making his entrance into the MCU, but not as Charles Xavier—and “sooner than you think.”
Esposito (who most recently appeared in AMC TV series Parish, and co-stars in Abigail, currently in theaters) was speaking at CCXP in Mexico City, per Collider, when he waded into spoiler-adjacent territory. Shooting down the idea of playing Professor X, Esposito hyped up the part he will be playing, saying it was “better than you can imagine.”
I cannot promise you it’ll be Professor X, because here’s what I think. I think that there’s something about being original. We’ve seen different versions of Professor X. Wouldn’t you like to see me play a character in a Marvel movie who is original, and new, and fresh? So, mark my words: This will happen sooner than you think.
This, in case you were wondering, is why “Galactus” has been trending on social media tonight; while the world-devouring Fantastic Four frenemy has appeared in films before, it was as a big, evil cloud of stuff, not as a meaty character role, so it’s easy to see why people might be speculating in that direction. (Unless we take Esposito’s comments completely at face value, and he’s playing a genuinely new character not taken from the comic books, Phil Coulson style. But what’s the fun in speculating about that?) The “unexpected” element probably rules out a couple of good villain picks, since fans have been tossing Esposito around as a good Magneto or Doctor Doom for years. But why stop there? There are a lot of great comic book characters still untapped that Esposito could sink his teeth into—off the top of our heads, there’s Marvel’s resident devil Mephisto, or the demon king Belasco, or X-Men villain Mister Sinister, and yes, we know, Esposito can play good guys too. But, c’mon, it’s Friday night, we can all admit it: Giancarlo Esposito as Mister Sinister, we know we want to see it.
30 Comments
Interesting people are thinking Galactus. My first thought was a cameo as Norman Osborne in the new Captain America to tee him up for Thunderbolts.
He’d be great as Norman. He’s great at being pleasant and charismatic while giving off sinister undertones.
Yeah I think he’d be aces in the roll, particularly if taking inspiration from Warren Ellis’s Thunderbolts run. Maybe have him running for mayor against Fisk. And I think there’s plenty of material to be mined by a Spider-Man who’s seen an alternate universe Green Goblin and knows what Normans are capable of.
Mhm, hopefully if they are going this route they take a while to make him the Green Goblin. Norman can be a pretty compelling and interesting villain just as a human. Though I wonder if they’d do anything to make Peter and Harry having been friends as kids or something. It’d be lazy to introduce it that way, but I also find Norman more compelling when Peter is personally attached to the guy.
Again the one thing he did say was its a new character so you type that for nothing but yes
Again I really don’t think a reprisal of Dafoes role when he called it a new role… like I honestly think it’s safe to say the one thing off the table are characters that have appeared in film before… because that’s what he point blank said…
And yeah, obviously Norman isn’t a fresh or new character, so it’s probably not him. But I’m not going to ungrey the dude saying that loudly and dickishly in the response.
he’s such a good villain that I’d hate to see him as a hero
Maybe they’re trying to save the Kang plotline by having him be an older version of Kang?
I mean, unless Esposito’s just straight up lying in his statement I doubt that. God knows at this point Kang is not “original, and new, and fresh” at all, and adding “but he’s old now” won’t change that.
After he clearly said he’s playing a new role I’m stunned you still felt the need to post this hacky idea
We all know who it should be!
Just clicked on this article to see if this comment is there. I’m glad there are still some small bastions of reliability in this world.
These topsy-turvy days demand Turner D. Century.
I, for one, am voting for Turner D Century for President.
Same!
To think I thought it would be Matter Eating Lad.
Well, that’s a DC guy which sensible people know isn’t real.
I’d shit myself in glee.
I’ve seen a lot of people say he’d be a great Norman Osborn but we already had one of those (albeit from another universe). I could see him working well as a Galactus. I’m trying to think of how far back he would count for seeing “something new” because that would rule out Dr. Doom (another very popular fan casting I’ve seen people make). He could do a pretty bitchin’ Mr. Sinister I’m sure.My theory is Dracula for whenever the Blade movie gets off the ground again.
If Silver Surfer is in this it better damn be Galactus
I hadn’t thought of that! He’d make a stellar Dracula. That said, it’s a character that’s technically new for the MCU, but it would be pretty funny for him to list one of horror cinema’s oldest and most popular characters as fresh and original.
Giancarlo Esposito as Squirrel Girl is casting I didn’t see coming, but I suppose it is “original, new, and fresh” in a way and totally different from the roles he’s been playing for the last decade or so.
Give him Prof X already. I swear if they go basic and make him a villain it would be such a waste. He’s the only actor with the vocal gravitas to match Patrick Stewart and he’s non-white. This is the most obvious casting they could mess up by making him Doom. C’mon you cowards.
Mister Sinister actually would be a really cool idea. He plays great villains but he also is an actor that can play campy and Mister Sinister is evil and camp.
I’ll guess Shadow King or Mephisto, appearing in Agatha, full debut in the X-Men movie.
Genuinely cute that the one thing he did say was its a new character and so many clickbait sites are now running that he’s gotta be playing Kang 🤣
paste pot pete, CONFIRMED!