Like Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men: The Animated Series still has a very large and very loyal fanbase. After 76 episodes, the show ended back in 1997, but Marvel Studios plans to revisit the franchise in this year's Disney+ revival X-Men '97.
Most of the original cast members are returning to pick up where the original series left off, and Head Writer Beau DeMayo has now confirmed the identity of the show's lead villain.
As expected, it's going to be Mister Sinister, a character who only briefly appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series. He was voiced by Christopher Britton during a handful of appearances in the show, but it's unclear whether the actor will return to reprise the role.
Addressing fans during the "X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event" (via The Direct), DeMayo said: "A very, very, very, very favourite character of mine and many others, Mister Sinister, will rear his ugly head from the past with a pretty foolproof plan to destroy the X-Men once and for all."
With Magneto planning to join the X-Men and put his villainous past behind him, it makes sense for a bad guy like Mister Sinister to take centre stage and we're sure his interest in cloning will come into play here.
It's interesting that Marvel Studios has chosen to focus on Sinister, though, especially as Fox planned to introduce him as the X-Men Universe's new big bad prior to the Disney/Fox merger. X-Men: Apocalypse was the first movie to hint at Nathaniel Essex's debut, while Deadpool 2 also referenced him; however, the villain was cut from The New Mutants fairly early on.
Jon Hamm was rumoured to play Mister Sinister there, and we'd bet on Marvel Studios having live-action plans for the character once they finally reboot the X-Men for the big screen.
Are you excited to see the team battle Mister Sinister in X-Men '97?