New X-Men art shows what Daniel Craig could look like as Magento, the X-Men franchise's notorious villain. Magento has been a prominent figure in the onscreen X-Men franchise since its inception at 20th Century Fox in 2000. Ian McKellen originally played the villain in four of the films, with Michael Fassbender playing Magneto in the prequel films. The two eventually met in Days of Future Past, one of the most acclaimed franchise entries.
In 2019, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in an acquisition. The merger led to the rights of the X-Men series being owned by Disney, officially heralding the arrival of mutants in the MCU. While Disney still had a few Fox films to release, including New Mutants, with eventual integration inevitable, fans have been speculating on how and when the MCU would include the X-Men in the universe. Phase 4 seems primed to explore the multiverse, which would be the perfect opportunity to introduce the X-Men to the already established timeline.
With speculation about how the X-Men will appear in the MCU, so too does speculation start as to who will take over the roles of some of the franchise's most popular characters. In new art by spdrmnkyxxiii, the artist posits that Craig would be a perfect Magneto. The art shows Craig sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee underneath Magneto's classic helmet, used to prevent Professor X from infiltrating his mind. A gun floats in the air, showing off the character's powers. Check out the full image below:
Now that Disney owns the X-Men's rights, anticipation for how they will be included in the MCU is high, even if it is a few years out. Speculation as to who exactly will be playing the iconic heroes and villains onscreen that fans of the franchise have come to know and love since the original X-Men in 2000 hasn't exactly reached a fever pitch, but it has already started in earnest. Magneto has been one of the most prominent of those characters, and his role in the X-Men universe is relatively large. With Fassbender and McKellan having already tackled the role, Marvel will have to find a big name to fill those shoes.
The possibility of Craig taking over the role of Magneto is an exciting one, partially because he'd be a perfect fit. However, Craig most likely would never take on the part. The actor was reticent to sign on as James Bond, and his disdain for being attached to that franchise is widely known. It is doubtful he would sign on to another franchise, especially one of the MCU's magnitude. Even if Craig doesn't sign on to play Magneto, it is almost guaranteed that Marvel will find heavy hitters to play the characters and fill out the rest of the X-Men for their inevitable introduction into the Marvel universe.
Source: spdrmnkyxxiii