X-men: apocalypse
Oscar Isaac’s supervillain doesn’t love the ’80s.
Is this the end? Sixteen years in, the X-franchise is finally ready to introduce its most terrifying Big Bad: Apocalypse. Played by Oscar Isaac, this blue-skinned mutant pre-dates the likes of Professor X and Magneto by thousands of years. A god-like figure, he has lain dormant since the days of ancient Egypt. On awaking in 1983 he considers not only the understandable things like deely boppers and Kajagoogoo but all human civilisation an abomination – an infestation to be eradicated.
He’s more than capable of doing so too, thanks to abilities which seem almost limitless. X- writer/ producer Simon Kinberg sums it up: “He’s arguably the most powerful villain in the history of the X-Men comics. No man can stop him. No army can stop him. But people with other powers can...”
On set in Toronto in July 2015, Total Film observes as cast and crew film multiple takes of a scene which suggests stopping him will be easier said than done. Newcomer Tye Sheridan, a young Cyclops, turns to look at Xavier, walks forward, and struggles with a deadly impulse to lower his protective glasses. It seems that someone not present in the room is controlling him from a distance...
Between takes, we take the chance to quiz Kinberg about why fans have had to wait so long to meet the X- universe’s most formidable foe.
“I might have wanted to jump right to it,” Kinberg confesses. “I think some of it is that Magneto is such a great character. And it may be that we needed to get to the critical mass of Days Of Future Past to feel like the franchise was ready to explode into a larger scale and scope.”
For producer Hutch Parker, the time is finally right. “There were a lot of reasons why Apocalypse made sense. I don’t believe we could have started with the Apocalypse story. It’s more expansive, and more challenging in some ways. The mainstream culture has fully embraced these movies now, and in that expansion has come an acceptance of some tonal territory that would have been too provocative.”
As the destruction-laden trailers suggest, this is a movie which dwarfs previous saga entries. “It’s a bigger canvas than we’ve had before”, Parker says. “The threats are large and global as opposed to more localised. Apocalypse represents a more expansive threat than we’ve seen either the X-Men or the world face before. It refreshes the way in which they’re challenged; it pushes their faith further; it challenges their relationships more deeply.”
While Apocalypse’s ancient, god-like point of view is light years from that of Magneto’s – an anti-hero we can easily empathise with, having witnessed Erik Lehnsherr’s suffering at the hands of humanity – Parker assures us this is no one-dimensional monster.
“The key to great villains is their motivation”, Parker says. “Their philosophy has to feel credible, not just evil for evil’s sake. Simon and Bryan [ Singer] have done a brilliant job of taking a character who’s so ancient and bringing him into modern times, but with a perspective – almost a commentary on our times – that underpins his belief system and is really the backbone of his agenda.”
And if you’re worried Apocalypse might turn a franchise renowned for smuggling social issues into blockbuster entertainment into mere demolition porn, Parker has words of reassurance.
“Apocalypse has his point of view about these issues”, he explains, “And it forces the characters to make choices, and creates new divisions. So I think you’ll find Apocalypse is equally thoughtful, and explores those issues dramatically in a similar fashion.”