Spoilers for Deadpool 2.

The true villain of Deadpool 2 isn't Russell Collins, nor is it the Juggernaut; the real foe is a figure who's working in the shadows, the twisted geneticist known as Mr. Sinister. It's true that viewers won't hear the name "Sinister" in any of the film's dialogue, nor will they see a pale-faced being transform into a strange metallic form and start shooting energy blasts. But his presence is there all the same.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has spent the best part of a decade building up to the threat of Thanos. Now, Fox seem to be setting up their own arc, dropping Easter Eggs in movie after movie, pointing the way to Sinister's big-screen debut. It's hardly a surprise; last year, Simon Kinberg confirmed that the villain would crop up sooner or later. "I think he is one of the great untapped villains in the X-Men universe," Kinberg observed, "and we do have plans to introduce him into the world."

There's one key difference between Fox's build-up to Sinister and Marvel's to Thanos. Marvel has been relatively up-front about it; they teased Thanos as their big bad in 2012, with everything since The Avengers building to Avengers: Infinity War. In contrast, Fox has settled for dropping subtle hints, allowing directors as much room to maneuver as possible. Given the X-Men films are scattered across the timeline(s), it's unlikely many viewers will spot them. But the clues are there all the same, and Deadpool 2 explicitly makes Sinister the main villain.

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Deadpool 2's Real Villain: Essex House

The real villain of Deadpool 2 is actually a twisted institution, an orphanage called the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation. Essex House is staffed by bigots and zealots, men and women who hate mutants with an almost religious passion. Eddie Marson plays the unnamed headmaster, a wrathful man who screams out that mutants are "abominations". Under the headmaster's lead, Essex House has become a place where mutant children are taught to hate themselves and others, where they're subjected to torture and beatings. Occasionally a mutant will lash out under the pressure of it all, and they'll simply be imprisoned as though they've committed an act of terrorism. No doubt every incident is used to reinforce the sense that mutants are dangerous, and the good people of Essex House are taking their lives into their own hands by trying to help ungrateful mutants.

Essex House has clearly been running for some time, given Domino says she grew up there. That means an untold number of mutants have passed through the orphanage over the years. Some, like Domino, will have escaped. Others, like Russell, have become victims of their own pain and rage, lashing out in anger at a world that hates and fears them. Deadpool 2 makes it clear that the orphanage still has a large number of children there; in the finale, Domino tears through the orderlies in front of children who cheer her on.

Essex is Really Mr. Sinister

The name "Essex" will be familiar to any readers of Marvel's X-Men comics. The most famous "Essex" is a man named Nathaniel Essex, a twisted geneticist who delights in experimenting upon mutants. In the comics, Essex hailed from Victorian England. He believed Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, but went one step further; Essex believed that evolution sometimes happened dramatically, and predicted the rise of mutants. Ironically, those beliefs brought him to the attention of Apocalypse, and he was himself transformed into a powerful, eternal mutant.

Sinister became obsessed with the Summers and Grey bloodlines, particularly the young Scott Summers and Jean Grey. He believed that their progeny would be the most powerful mutant of all time, and sought to control it. To that end, when the young Scott was rendered an orphan, Sinister established an orphanage in which to bring him up. Needless to say, Sinister experimented relentlessly upon young Scott, although he erased the child's memories of this experimentation. When Scott's powers first began to manifest, he began suffering from devastating headaches. It was Sinister who discovered that ruby quartz glasses lessened the pain.

Deadpool 2's "Essex House" is clearly a reference to that scheme. The film even signposts a connection to Sinister in one scene where a member of staff is shot in the head, leaving a crimson bullet-wound in the shape of a diamond on the man's forehead; that diamond is Sinister's trademark insignia, with countless comics having used it to reveal that a character is Sinister in disguise. And while Nathaniel isn't directly linked in this film, there's evidence to suggest he may be ultimately behind it...

Page 2 of 2: Sinister's Role In The X-Men Universe's Past... And Future

Essex Corp in the X-Men Movies So Far

Attentive viewers will know this isn't the first time Fox has name-dropped Nathaniel Essex. X-Men: Apocalypse's post-credits scene revisited the Weapon X Project, with a group of men in suits visiting during the cleanup. They're unconcerned with the bloodshed, focused relentlessly upon their goal; acquiring a sample of Wolverine's blood. The final shot focused in on the distinctive brand on their cases: ESSEX CORP.

This initially seems intended to tie into Logan, establishing that Essex Corp was responsible for the creation of X-23. However Logan director James Mangold chose to take the film in a slightly different direction, avoiding using Sinister at all. As he explained, "[that] kind of operatic highly-costumed, stroboscopic villainy... that's not in this movie.Logan attempted to ditch the kind of spectacle typically seen in superhero films, instead taking a more personal and intimate approach. Sinister just wouldn't have been appropriate.

As far as Fox is concerned, though, there's still an implicit connection between X-Men: Apocalypse and Logan. Simon Kinberg confirmed that the implication is that Essex Corp. was responsible for collecting the genetic samples of countless mutants, and by the time of Logan were the ones who created a small army of mutant assassins and clones. This may be how Essex Corp. is linked to the orphanage, with Sinister using it as an opportunity to experiment upon young mutants, then erasing their memories as in the comics.

What's Next for Essex?

Fox currently has two other X-Men films in production, New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Curiously enough, there have been rumors tying both movies to Sinister. In the case of New Mutants, there are rumors that the film's post-credits scene originally featured John Hamm as Mr. Sinister. This has reportedly been cut, with Antonio Banderas appearing as a different character instead. It's possible this particular cut is a result of Fox's switching up the pair's release dates; perhaps the changed order of release would damage the build-up.

But Sinister has also been tied to Dark PhoenixJessica Chastain is playing that film's main villain, the identity of which has been a closely-held secret. The latest rumors suggest that she's actually playing Miss Sinister, a gender-swapped version of the mad scientist. There is comic book precedent for this body-swap, as Sinister does transfer his consciousness between bodies, and has used a female form on occasion. It's important to stress that this is only a rumor, but it would make sense; Dark Phoenix is focused on Cyclops and Jean Grey, the objects of Sinister's obsession. Sinister even has subtle ties to the Phoenix Force, attempting to control it for a while.

And then there's Gambit. This has been the most troubled of Fox's X-Men spinoffs, suffering a constant spate of delays and changing director countless times. Simon Kinberg recently revealed the studio hope to name a director soon, and aim to begin filming this summer. Gambit is another X-Man with strong ties to Sinister; in the comics, when Remy LeBeau's powers first manifested they were out of control, and he had to go to Sinister for help. In return, Sinister forced Gambit to work for him for a time. It wouldn't be out of the question for Gambit to continue Sinister's story in the X-Men universe.

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One thing's for certain: we're hearing the name "Essex" far too often. Continuity has hardly been the watchword of Fox's X-Men franchise, but this time the studio is headed in a clear direction, one that even involves their R-rated spinoffs.

More: Deadpool 2's Biggest Mutant Cameo Redeems A Fan Favorite

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