Obsession Star Reportedly Turned Down Major Sequel and $2.5 Million Payday for MCU Role

Obsession star Inde Navarrette has enjoyed one of the most meteoric rises to stardom in recent memory this year. It isn’t a stretch to say Curry Barker’s indie horror hit became one of the most unprecedented box office stories of all time due to Navarrette’s jaw-dropping and committed performance as Nikki Freeman, as the actress struck the perfect balance between the “possessed” Nikki who’s under the control of Bear’s selfish wish and tastes of the “real” Nikki, giving the story a tragic undertone. Audiences flocked to the theater to see Navarrette’s star-making turn for themselves, and she’s parlayed the exposure into new career opportunities. Navarrette is playing Rogue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s X-Men reboot, but she had plenty of offers come her way before that.

According to Page Six Hollywood, Navarrette chose Marvel over some other high-profile projects. Her role in X-Men has taken her out of the running to play Sharlene in Michael Mann’s Heat 2 (which starts filming this fall after spending years in development). Additionally, Navarrette turned down a $2.5 million payday to star in a new horror movie from director Mattias Hoehne.

Choosing X-Men Was the Right Call for Inde Navarrette

The revelation that Navarrette turned down Heat 2 is very interesting. In July, when Heat 2 casting details were reported, it was said that Adam Driver was “deep in negotiations” to play villain Otis Wardell. Since that report came out, Driver has signed on to be Navarrette’s co-star in X-Men, playing Mister Sinister. It’s worth wondering if X-Men will force Driver to drop out of Heat 2 as well. He was never officially attached to the crime drama, though when trades use phrases like “deep in negotiations,” it’s all but a guarantee the actor is about to sign on. Heat 2 is slated to begin production in November, while X-Men won’t start shooting until some point next year (ahead of its May 2028 release date). Conceivably, there’s a world where Driver could fit both projects into is schedule. As for why Navarrette is no longer up for Heat 2, details regarding that situation are slim. It’s possible she simply didn’t feel like taking on two massive productions back to back and decided it would be better to focus on preparing for Rogue.

Similarly, the Page Six Hollywood report doesn’t delve into Navarrette’s reasoning for turning down Hoehne’s horror film. One possibility is that Navarrette is intentionally looking to avoid horror as she lines up her next projects. She experienced her big breakthrough in the genre, but she likely doesn’t want to be typecast and would rather try her hand at other types of movies, diversifying her filmography by showcasing other sides of her range. Obsession proved that Navarrette is very talented, and it’ll be exciting to see what else she can do as her career evolves.

There are probably circles of cinephiles who would have preferred Navarrette went for Heat 2 as opposed to getting tied up in a franchise. Like its predecessor, Heat 2 is shaping up to be something special, as Mann is assembling a star-studded ensemble led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale. However, Navarrette picking X-Men is logical from her perspective. While there’s been talk of Mann potentially making Heat 3 to round out a trilogy, right now, Heat 2 is ostensibly a one-off. X-Men is a steady franchise gig Navarrette can rely on consistently for at least a decade, if not more. The X-Men are widely expected to be the main focus of the MCU’s next saga, so she’ll be keeping herself quite busy with her fellow mutants for the foreseeable future.

Starring in a highly anticipated Marvel blockbuster is an exciting development for a rising star in the film industry. It’s an opportunity many only dream of. The downside, of course, is that the multi-picture contracts Marvel actors sign can prevent them from pursuing other creative endeavors. It’s expected there will be a push to get Navarrette an Oscar nomination for Obsession, so some film fans are probably interested in seeing what she can do with more “prestigious” roles collaborating with various auteurs. However, Navarrette could follow Driver’s footsteps by balancing tentpole work with awards contenders. While he was making the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Driver appeared in films like Silence, BlacKkKlansman, and Marriage Story, so it’s certainly possible for an actor to do both.

What Obsession’s Ending Really Means