Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac cast as the big, blue villain of X-Men: Apocalypse

By Rick Marshall November 25, 2014

star wars force awakens actor oscar isaac cast big blue villain x men apocalypse llewyn davis — Image used with permission by copyright holder

When it comes to Hollywood casting news, a lot can change in a month. After reports surfaced in October that The Dark Knight Rises actor Tom Hardy was being offered the lead villain role in X-Men: Apocalypse, a new report suggests that the title role in the follow-up to X-Men: Days Of Future Past has been filled — by Star Wars: The Force Awakens actor Oscar Isaac.

According to Variety, Isaac has landed the role as the titular villain in the upcoming film, which is set in the 1980s and is rumored to feature young versions of famous X-Men team members Cyclops and Jean Grey.

First glimpsed during the end-credits scene in Days Of Future Past, the blue-skinned Apocalypse — whose given name is En Sabah Nur, “The First One” — is one of the mutant team’s most dangerous, recurring foes in the Marvel Comics universe. Believed to be the world’s first mutant, the comic-book version of Apocalypse was born around 3,000 B.C. in Egypt and used his powerful abilities and advanced technology to conquer the surrounding civilizations and enforce his brutal “survival of the fittest” philosophy.

Set to star in next year’s highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Isaac rose to prominence with a critically praised, starring role in 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. It’s unknown what role he’ll play in The Force Awakens.

X-Men: Apocalypse is expected to begin filming in April 2015 and is scheduled to hit theaters May 27, 2016. Confirmed cast members so far include James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult.

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