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Giancarlo Esposito might still be best known as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. But thanks largely to The Mandalorian, the actor’s stock is certainly rising in the geek community. No wonder some fans want him to play an iconic DC supervillain in an upcoming film. Yet, according to the man himself, Esposito could join the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead.

Giancarlo Esposito on 'The IMDb Show'
Giancarlo Esposito on ‘The IMDb Show’ | Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb

Phase 4 of the MCU will likely introduce the next Thanos

With Avengers: Endgame having wrapped up years of storytelling, the MCU is certainly in a transitional period. As fans and the heroes themselves adjust, the franchise is hitting a bit of a reset. Phase 4, for instance, looks to introduce several new characters.

Meanwhile, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) are likely to become the senior Avengers. Alongside this new era of Marvel storytelling, the MCU will certainly set up its next epic villain in Phase 4.

After all, Thanos entered the picture in a mid-credits scene of The Avengers several years before he became a direct threat. Fans already have their theories on which character could serve as an ongoing villain. Regardless, Esposito’s range and talent make him an easy fit for anything from Doctor Doom to Kang the Conqueror.

Giancarlo Esposito often plays a villain and wants in on the MCU

Of course, Esposito is widely known for playing villains. The majority of his most memorable roles — especially lately — are a testament to that. Could he step into the MCU as longtime Spider-Man foe Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin or even the voice of Galactus? If Marvel does want Esposito, all they need to do is ask, it seems.

“There’s been all these rumors about being with Marvel. I want to work with those guys. I’ve put it out into the world,” Esposito told Entertainment Tonight. Though the actor said he didn’t start the rumors, he does confess he wants to “do something enduring” in the MCU. Moreover, he considers the MCU “the next step for [him]” at this point.

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But some fans want to see the actor play a certain mutant hero instead

Norman Osborn, Doctor Doom, and other villain roles are, of course, some of the ones most discussed by Esposito’s fans. But others hope he’ll join the MCU’s X-Men franchise. “Dude could do anything but I’m praying to see him as Magneto,” one fan tweeted.

Indeed, rumor has it Marvel wants a person of color as Magneto. And the villain is a likely addition to the MCU. But as much as Esposito could be a memorable villain, some MCU fans would prefer to see a different side of him. In fact, the actor could wind up leading, not opposing, the X-Men.

“Let’s mix it up and give Giancarlo Esposito a non-villain role in the MCU?” one user said alongside pictures of the actor and Professor X. Marvel Studios has made both unexpected and obvious casting choices. So if Esposito does join the franchise, there’s no telling which route they’ll take.

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