Why was the Apocalypse suit the biggest villain in the movie?
Oscar Isaac accepted the challenge of portraying the iconic X-Men villain, Apocalypse, in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). However, despite his dedication and passion for the character, the experience was less than stellar for him.
For Oscar Isaac, becoming the apocalypse was no walk in the park. The heavy makeup and prosthetics required for this role were difficult.
In a conversation with GQ, Isaac described the experience as “traumatic,” noting that he had to endure exposure to glue, latex, and a massive 40-pound suit.
This suit was so restrictive that he couldn’t even move his head. To make matters worse, he had to wear a cooling mechanism at all times due to the heat generated by the suit. The suit was so bulky that Isaac had to sit on a special saddle during breaks, and the crew had to roll him into a cooling tent to avoid overheating.
The actor even mentioned that he felt isolated during filming, because the suit made it difficult for him to interact with his co-stars, who he was excited to work with.
Not only was the suit a physical pain, it also ruined Oscar Isaac’s vocal performance. The material was a symphony of squeaks and creaks, turning every movement into a raucous concert of rubber and plastic, so they had to dub all of Isaac’s lines during post-production.
If the suit was hard to put on, it was even harder to take it off. Isaac described the removal process as painful, likening it to scraping stubborn old tiles off a bathroom floor. Hours were spent just removing the makeup and prosthetics from him after filming.
In addition to the physical and emotional challenges that Isaac faced, X-Men: Apocalypse faced criticism from both fans and critics, although it performed well at the box office. Some have pointed out the blandness of Isaac’s villain, which is disappointing considering the effort and emotion Isaac put into the role.
However, when Isaac thinks about this part, he is actually very proud of it. He jumped into the role because he is a huge fan of the character. Plus, collaborating with some talented actors was too good to pass up. He wishes the movie had given the character more justice, but he doesn’t disown her.
sources: GQ on YouTube, New York times
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