The odds have really been stacked against an aging Logan in Wolverine 3: Not only will the X-Man have to contend with whatever bad guy Narcos’ Boyd Holbrook is playing, but there’s also a good chance that he’ll have to tackle cyborgs and/or some nefarious corporation. He will have some help from Charles Xavier, who will be played by Patrick Stewart for possibly the last time before joining Jackman in mutant retirement. But the duo might need to call in some backup, because it looks like Mister Sinister is going to make his X-Men debut in Wolverine 3.
This info was gleaned by the folks at CinemaBlend, who recently sat through X-Men: Apocalypse’s digital release, which includes audio commentary from Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer. They discuss the post-credits scene that shows someone snagging a vial of Weapon X a.k.a. Wolverine’s blood and placing it in a briefcase with the Essex Corp logo slapped on it.
Although we can’t check the articles of incorporation, the name is a reference to Nathaniel Essex, otherwise known as Mister Sinister. In the comics, Sinister made lots of trouble for the X-Men as a scientist obsessed with evolution. He conducted the kind of illegal experiments that resulted in Jean Grey’s clone and child, as well as unlocking the genetic code behind mutant superpowers.
Kinberg and Singer didn’t elaborate on the extent of Sinister’s role in the film, but CinemaBlend notes there’s a chance he’ll be played by Richard E. Grant. When news of his casting broke, the Game Of Thrones actor’s role was described as “villainous mad-scientist type,” which bolsters the theory. Then again, we don’t know who Stephen Merchant’s playing yet, and Mister Sinister might be just badass-enough a role for The Office co-creator.