Marvel chased Adam Driver for a decade. He finally said yes to the one role that doesn't come with handcuffs. Every young actor Marvel casts as a hero signs a multi-picture contract at casting. Sebastian Stan signed for 9 films. Chris Hemsworth got $150,000 for the first Thor. The deal is fame now, leverage never. By the time you're a household name, your rate was locked years ago. Villains play by different rules. One film, no options, the showiest part in the script, and your quote stays intact. Cate Blanchett did exactly one movie as Hela. Christian Bale did one as Gorr. The villain slot is the only place in the MCU where a prestige actor can rent themselves out and walk away clean. Now look at this X-Men cast through that lens. Sadie Sink, Kit Connor, Maya Boyd, Inde Navarrette. Young, talented, and locked in cheap for the next decade. The one two-time Oscar nominee in the movie is playing the bad guy. Driver understands this trade better than anyone working. He spent 2015 to 2019 as Kylo Ren, and the sequel trilogy's $4.4 billion box office bought him ten years of Marriage Story, Annette, and Megalopolis. Marvel reportedly wanted him for Mister Fantastic. He passed. A hero role is a mortgage. A villain role is a payday. The villain is the only part in a Marvel movie that gets paid retail. Everyone else is an option contract with a face.