Marvel Studios is kicking off Phase 7 of the MCU with a huge, well-known villain.
Phase 6, which begins with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July will conclude with 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, setting the stage for the seventh phrase with Marvel Studios' long-awaited X-Men reboot reported to being filming next year. Now, a new report has revealed a certain infamous X-Men baddie will be entering the fray.
According to industry scooper Daniel Richtman, Mr. Sinister is the villain in the current draft of Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men movie, which is all but confirmed to be directed by Thunderbolts filmmaker Jake Jake Schreier. Once a renowned geneticist Nathaniel Essex, Mr. Sinister was transformed by the mutant Apocalypse, which gave him immortality, telepathy, telekinesis, superhuman strength, and the ability to shapeshift.
Mr. Sinister was a key villain in X-Men: The Animated Series and Disney+'s X-Men '97's primary antagonist, but he has yet to appear in an X-Men movie.
But given the mutant franchise's murderer's row of baddies, as well as other Phase 7 reported movies including a Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings sequel and Black Panther 3, Mr. Sinister won't alone in his efforts to wreak havoc on the MCU's Phase 7.
Other Marvel Villains Expected for Phase 7 of the MCU
Lilith - Blade
While Mahershala Ali's Blade needs no enemies given its troubled production, if the film does debut in Phase 7, one of its antagonists could be the vampire villain, Lilith.
In 2024, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that one version of Blade was set in the 1920s with actress Mia Goth playing Lilith and in pursuit of the blood of Blade's daughter, and at the time, Goth was still attached to the project.
Xialing - Shang-Chi 2
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ended with Shang-Chi's sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), going behind her brother's back by assuming leadership of the Ten Rings terrorist organization following their father's death.
Unless Marvel Studios intends to revisit this storyline ahead of Phase 7, it's tough to imagine a Shang-Chi 2 that doesn't address Xialing's new position or at least her Ten Rings organization being an obstacle for her brother.
Find out what Shang-Chi's Meng'er Zhang said about Xialing's future here!
The Hand - Shang-Chi 2
Another predicted antagonist for a Shang-Chi sequel is The Hand which is a supervillain organization of evil mystical ninjas from Marvel Comics.
In addition to being another evil organization like the Ten Rings, The Hand would allow for more of Shang-Chi's signature martial arts action sequences, while also connecting Simu Liu's franchise to Daredevil and New York City. In Marvel comics, Wilson Fisk worked with The Hand with the group crossing paths with Daredevil, Elektra, and Iron Fist.
Achebe - Black Panther 3
One of Black Panther's recurring villains in the comics is Achebe, a former farmer whose life was ruined by soldiers and who sold his soul to the devil to take revenge. At one point, he emigrated to Wakanda through a refugee camp and toppled the government through a coup d'etat.
There are currently unsubstantiated rumors that Achebe will be Black Panther 3's big bad, and many fans are hoping and predicting that will be the case with Denzel Washington being a contender after he teased his role in the threequel.
In addition, Alez Perez of the Cosmic Circus previously shared his belief that Denzel Washington's character could be "a villain" in Black Panther 3, or possibly "a Black Panther Variant" like "King T’Chanda, T’Challa’s grandfather, the Black Panther from WWII."
Magneto - X-Men
An Omega-level mutant with the ability to control magnetic fields, Magneto is one of the X-Men's main antagonists and their former leader whose philosophy continually drives a wedge between himself and Professor X.
Fox's X-Men franchise heavily featured Magneto played by both Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender; and McKellen is confirmed to reprise his role in Avengers: Doomsday (but with a whole new look?)
However, since Marvel Studios is looking to reboot the X-Men for Phase 7, fans may be getting a new Magneto post-Secret Wars. But regardless, Magneto is such an integral part of the X-Men that any Phase 7 mutant story will have to involve this Omega-level antihero in some form or fashion.
Doctor Doom
While Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. is shaping up to be Phase 6's big bad, there are reports that he will stick around after Avengers: Secret Wars and possibly into Phase 7.
However, he's also rumored to be recast and played by a different star, which further suggests the MCU's seventh phase is sounding more like a fresh start all the time. The question now is in which Phase 7 project will he appear and who will he cross paths with?
