When the first official images of Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse were unveiled, fans had some strong reactions — and not all of them were positive. A lot of people were quick to criticize the look of the villain, with many joking that Apocalypse’s appearance looked strikingly similar to Ivan Ooze, the campy villain from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie in the 1990s. The comparison was made due to the costume’s purple and metallic look, which some fans felt resembled the over-the-top design of the Power Rangers antagonist.
The reaction quickly spread across social media, with memes and comments flooding the internet. It seemed that many were expecting something different for Apocalypse, and the early images of him didn’t match the intimidating, god-like presence that some had hoped for. However, despite the backlash, director Bryan Singer has stepped up to defend the design in an interview with Empire.
Singer, who is no stranger to the X-Men franchise, was quick to point out that the costume is, in fact, meant to stay true to the character’s roots in the comics. According to Singer,
“He’ll be very similar to images in the comic. There’s obviously something very futuristic and yet ancient to the design of both his costume and his physicality.”
This comment from Singer sheds some light on the reasoning behind the costume. Apocalypse, whose first appearance in the comics dates back to X-Factor in 1986, is an ancient mutant with god-like powers. His look is designed to reflect both his age — he’s over 5,000 years old in the comics — and his futuristic, almost alien qualities. In the comics, Apocalypse is a powerful and complex character, and it seems Singer is trying to capture that in his film adaptation.
Of course, the translation of a comic book character to the big screen is never easy, and Apocalypse’s design was always going to be a topic of debate. Fans of the X-Men comics have their own strong ideas about how the character should look, and it’s clear that some were hoping for a more traditional or intimidating portrayal. But at the same time, there’s something to be said about updating the look to fit the tone of the X-Men films as they exist now.
While the reaction to the design has been mixed so far, it’s important to remember that we haven’t seen Apocalypse in action yet. There’s still a lot we don’t know about how he’ll be portrayed in the film, and how his powers and presence will translate to the big screen. As with many early leaks and images, the true test will come once the movie is released, and fans get to see Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of the character in full context.
For now, it seems like the character’s design is only one part of the puzzle. Fans will ultimately judge Apocalypse based on his performance, his role in the story, and how he interacts with the rest of the X-Men team.
While the initial images may not have been universally well-received, it’s entirely possible that once X-Men: Apocalypse is out – opinions will shift as we see the full scope of the character in action.