Why We Should Calm Down about Apocalypse’s X-Men Movie Design

Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur. “The First One.” He’s mutancy’s most malevolent, longest lasting, and possibly premiere villain. With a life spanning several thousand years, an ever-evolving slate of powers, and the patience to carry out his Darwinian credo of “only the strong survive” to its ultimate end, Apocalypse is terrifying. He’s the opposite of Xavier’s dream for mutants come to life. He’s the fears of humanity expressed in living form. He’s…human-sized and very purple?

The first images of Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse, coming to theaters May 27, 2016 from Fox, show a character largely unfamiliar to his fans in the comic books. With no lip/jaw outline, a slight frame, and some kind of jeweled cowl, fans are upset that they’re not seeing the Apocalypse they’ve seen on the printed page (and even in animated form). A popular meme shows how this big-budget version compares to some high-end cosplayers, the latter of whom remained very close to the comics with a near-exact adaptation:

But the thing many people seem to be missing are the positives, the possible reasoning behind the aesthetic choices chosen, and the simple fact that the movie is still filming and has exactly zero post-production special effects completed.

Now, I’ll admit, when my editor started talking to me about this piece, I said, “I do wish he had the lips.” It’s a silly thing, when you really think about it. What improvement does someone get, genetically, by having large lines that trace his lips and jaw? How does that make someone have an increased chance of survival? That, at its core, is what mutation is supposed to be: you are gaining a trait or attribute atypical to your species so that you can better survive. Giant blue lips/jawline do not a survivor make.

Really, when you look at the history of the X-Men movies costumes, it’s amazing how much did make it into Apocalypse’s on-screen look. Sure, it’s more purple than blue, but a) that can be toned down and b) sometimes he’s been more purple than blue in the comics, too. The cowl is right out of the comic look, though accentuated (get to that in a moment), and while the “A for Apocalypse” isn’t quite pronounced, there’s a shape on the front of his armor that does at least reflect it. The tubes that run on the back of the comic book costume can be seen in some shots, too.

The major change to the costume actually has a great story reason. The character’s history is indelibly tied to his time in ancient Egypt. Rather than just a touch of that, instead relying chiefly on the alien origins of his armor and his own tinkering with his powers as in the comics, the movie costume seems to have a very heavy focus on the Egyptian background. The aforementioned cowl is adorned with details made to look like a pharaoh’s robes, as are the majority of the rest of Apocalypse’s armor. Going over his head, its almost as if a jeweled headdress has been implanted atop his skull. Even the purple shading refers to royalty, a historically royal color. Overall, these are meant to show him as a king among men. It’s a look that doesn’t reflect the comics in an exact way, but it does reflect how Apocalypse sees himself: a ruler, who demands respect simply through his existence.

Would I have liked to see a muscle-bound, exaggerated, blue-lipped creature on the big screen? My grew-up-in-the-80s-and-90s instant reaction is of course yes. I, as a fan whose favorite character is Cable and favorite crossover event ever is Age of Apocalypse, have a strong nostalgic affinity to that character and his recognizable look. However, I also have an understanding of the difference in mediums between film and comics. What is acceptable in the world they had established over the course of 30 years in the comics when Apocalypse first appeared is starkly different to the rules of the world in the films. While he may not look exactly the same, he does look like ancient royalty, a figure who is so evolved that he’s also ironically set in his ways. The idea of a person pushing for evolution at all costs that holds onto a look 5,000 years old is actually quite amusing – and says something about his character.

We know literally nothing about how Apocalypse will operate on the big screen. The images and tiny tidbits of information don’t reveal how imposing of a figure he’ll be. We don’t know what his powers will include beyond “persuasion” and the telekinesis he apparently displayed in the after-credits scene to Days of Future Past. Jumping to judgment based on a couple of still shots is par for the course on the Internet, but it’s probably out of line in this instance. In the end, as long as there are well-told reasons in this version of the story, in this universe, Apocalypse can look however these creators deem necessary. Adhering to one style just to appease our inner fan isn’t staying true to a character or story, it’s often just holding one back.

X-Men: Apocaylpse is due in theaters May 27, 2016. You can check out every other upcoming Marvel and superhero movie on ComicBook.com’s Comic Book Movie Release Schedule!