Adam Driver says childhood love of X-Men prompted Marvel debut

Actor Adam Driver has said his childhood enthusiasm for the X-Men franchise helped persuade him to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), after turning down several previous offers from the studio.

Actor Adam Driver has said his childhood enthusiasm for the X-Men franchise helped persuade him to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), after turning down several previous offers from the studio.

Driver, who will play the villain Mister Sinister in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men film, discussed his decision during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on November 5.

“I was a big fan. I mean, I was a fan of the other things too, but this one felt like the right time,” Driver told host Jimmy Kimmel.

He also credited director Jake Schreier’s vision, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the film’s script for helping him make the decision.

“It was really X-Men, Jake Schreier, who is the director, his idea for it, and that it’s Kevin Feige,” Driver said. “It all kind of came together. The script is really cool.”

The actor said he was aware of the pressure that came with joining a major franchise, given the large audience and expectations surrounding the X-Men characters.

“A lot of people are going to watch it, and if it’s bad, you know, a lot of people will see you being bad. Plus, I don’t want to mess it up,” he said.

Driver’s casting as Mister Sinister was announced at Disney’s D23 convention in August. He will portray Dr Nathaniel Essex, a superintelligent, shape-shifting villain who is one of the X-Men’s major antagonists.

Directed by Schreier, the film is scheduled for release on May 5, 2028. Its cast also includes Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier and Maya Boyd as Storm.