When X-Men: Apocalypse ended with a post-credit sequence that teased the arrival of a certain mega-villain, some fans weren’t sure exactly what it meant. We all saw the reference to “Essex Corp,” which is a clear nod to Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister, but with the X-Men Cinematic Universe in a state of expansion, where exactly would the character be making his debut? Would it be in the next proper X-Men sequel? Will it be in The Wolverine III? Gambit? How about Deadpool 2?

Personally, I recall assuming that this meant Sinister would show up in the next X-Men movie, which is said to be set in the 90s. Turns out, I was wrong.

According to X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer, that sequence was meant to set up the character’s arrival in The Wolverine III. He revealed as much in the audio commentary for Apocalypse, which was released on blu-ray last week. 

This is interesting since, as we know, Apocalypse was set in the 80s. The sequence took place at that same time, and yet we know that The Wolverine III is to be set in the future. This implies that good ol’ Mister Sinister will be looming in the shadows for all of Logan’s (Hugh Jackman) post-Weapon X life. Essex was there shortly after he broke out of the facility at Alkali Lake, and will apparently factor into Wolverine’s far off future. 

If we can speculate further, let’s also take a look at who may be playing Mister Sinister. It was recently announced that Richard E. Grant had joined The Wolverine III, playing a character whose name has been withheld, but who has been described as a “mad scientist.” Comic fans likely know that this description would be rather apt for Essex, who’s known for conducting radical experiments that involve gene splicing and cloning.

While Grant may not possess the physical stature that we typically associate with Mister Sinister, we saw in X-Men: Apocalypse was the costume and effects team was able to do to transform Oscar Isaac into the titular villain.

Do you think Grant is playing Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister? Are you excited to know that he’ll be the big bad in The Wolverine III? Are you hoping the character also somehow plays a part in other X-Men films? Discuss below.

SOURCE: CinemaBlend