Giancarlo Esposito Addresses Marvel Studios Movie Rumors

Giancarlo Esposito wants to do "something enduring" with Marvel Studios, behind the 23-movie Marvel Cinematic Universe, saying a role with the franchise is "likely the next step" in his decades-long career. The Breaking Bad and Star Wars: The Mandalorian star — who played drug lord Gustavo Fring and Imperial Moff Gideon, respectively — recently returned to the animated DC Universe as the voice of Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor in adult animated series Harley Quinn and next plays the role of dictator Anton Costillo in Ubisoft video game Far Cry 6. Responding to rumors he's been considered for a "major" Marvel role, Esposito says working with the Kevin Feige-ran studio is on his "wish list":

"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. "I haven't created any of those rumors, but I worked years ago with [Marvel Studios co-president and executive producer] Louis D'Esposito ... back when he was doing [The] Cotton Club, he was [second assistant director]."

What Marvel does "is fantastic," Esposito said, adding he wants "to do something enduring with them." After expressing an interest in historical dramas and a desire to play Russian poet and novelist Alexander Pushkin, Esposito said: "I think the Marvel world would be, likely, the next step for me. And then I would step back into playing some characters I think that really did change the world through their actions, and it really didn't matter what color they were."

In 2017, Esposito told ComicBook.com he turned down a Marvel TV role because it would possibly preclude him from joining the film side of the franchise.

"I love those guys at Marvel. We've been trying to figure out how to collaborate on something," Esposito said. "I'm hoping that it is something. They came to me with something for their television department, then I realized if I did that, I'd never be able to have that same character be in that film department. Once you're in a Marvel character in the television version, you have to stay in the particular character. They can't carry that over to film."

Esposito's comments were made before Feige announced Marvel Studios' first foray into big-budget television with multiple series coming to the Disney+ streaming service, home to The Mandalorian, including MCU-set series WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki. The streaming series are directly tethered to the film franchise with characters making the jump from the small screen to the big screen, and vice versa.

Last August, following the conclusion of Marvel's 11-year Infinity Saga wrapped up with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, a rumor claimed Esposito was being eyed to play the recurring role of a "mysterious and nefarious benefactor" in Marvel's Phase 4. It was speculated this unconfirmed role was Norman Osborn, better known as Spider-Man foe the Green Goblin.

All episodes of the first season of The Mandalorian are now streaming on Disney+.