Rumors continue to swirl that Adam Driver has landed a villain role in Marvel’s X-Men reboot, although at this point that is unconfirmed. However, speculation continues as to who Driver could be playing. Some have said it’s Magneto, although I hope they keep the Master of Magnetism at bay for a few movies. Others have suggested Mister Sinister, another character I don’t want to see for quite some time. This latest report, put forth by THR’s Heatvision blog, is that Driver might be up to play Hellfire Club leader, Sebastian Shaw.
This would be a more suitable villain for the first MCU X-Men movie, and makes sense given the casting we’ve already seen. Sebastian Shaw is a powerful mutant with the ability to absorb and rechannel kinetic energy into immense strength. He’s also rich and politically powerful, which is why he leads the cabal, The Hellfire Club, as its Black King. And who serves as his White Queen? Emma Frost, who we know will be played by Samara Weaving.
Another member of the Hellfire Club, albeit briefly? Jean Grey, while overwhelmed by the dark energy of the Phoenix Force and Emma Frost’s manipulations. She, of course, is being played by Sadie Sink, although there’s no official confirmation that she’s in the movie.
Kevin Bacon played Sebastian Shaw in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. While not totally comic book accurate, Bacon had the pompous, elitist attitude down pat.
The cool thing about Shaw is that he’s a longtime foe of the X-Men, but he’s worked with them on occasion, as well. Because his reach and interests are global, sometimes Shaw has needed the help of the X-Men, and they have needed him. In short, he could be a character that sticks around for the long haul. If you’re Marvel and you’ve been pursuing Driver for years, this is the kind of role you want him for.
