The introduction of Disney+ has given the Marvel Cinematic Universe a chance to explore the stories of heroes and villains that may not have otherwise been made into films. Following the early success of the first two MCU Disney+ shows, the creative team at Marvel should strongly consider their first super villain origin story on Disney+, featuring the immortal mutant warlord Apocalypse.
Although he has been a foe of the X-Men since the mid-1980s, Apocalypse did not have a clearly defined backstory until 1996’s Rise of Apocalypse limited series. The story followed the world’ first mutant, then named En Sabah Nur, who was born thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt. He is rejected by his tribe at birth due to his mutated appearance, but is adopted by Baal of the Sandstormers after the group raids and kills Nur’s tribe. Nur grows up into a talented warrior but continues to face ridicule for his appearance.
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Meanwhile, Pharaoh Rama-Tut, who is actually a time-traveling Kang the Conqueror in disguise, sends his soldiers to find and kill En Sabah Nur to prevent him from becoming the villain he develops into over the centuries. The pharaoh’s men attack the Sandstormers, and although Nur and Baal escape, Baal dies from his wounds. Seeking vengeance, Nur sets off on a quest of revenge that puts him on the path to become Apocalypse.
This story would be a perfect fit for a single-season show on Disney+. For one, Apocalypse’s previous silver screen appearance in X-Men: Apocalypse was not well-received. If Marvel wants to reintroduce him to the average audience member, it may be prudent to try a different approach, especially given his importance to the X-Men mythos. The more methodical pace of a television series would lend itself to exploring the nuances of his character in a manner they’ve previously employed for Loki and Bucky Barnes before transitioning them them into major antagonists.
To that end, Nur’s story is profoundly tragic, mirroring the emotional cores of cinematic classics such as Gladiator and the original Mad Max. There is certainly enough material to make for an exciting six to ten part drama. Much of Apocalypse’s character is also predicated upon his motto of “survival of the fittest” — a belief which was actually instilled in him by the Sandstormers. Establishing this creed is incredibly important because it defines most of his actions and grants him an internal motivation reminiscent of that which made Thanos such a successful villain.
The Ancient Egyptian setting can also act as one of the hypothetical show’s calling cards. The MCU has never extensively explored such an ancient era before, and the cinematographic potential of endless deserts, towering pyramids and dazzling costumes would be immense. The vivid colors and creative production design of films like Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok prove that Marvel is interested in such productions, and this series would represent another chance to add to their resume.
The relative obscurity of his origin also fits well with the timeline of mutants in the MCU. Feige has indicated the studio has not quite settled on how to introduce the classic characters, and all signs point to them being given a lengthy break after decades under the Fox banner. Kicking off their eventual integration with an unexpected story set in ancient times, far removed from the presumption of an X-Men movie set in the 20th century, would be a breath of fresh air for the franchise.
Marvel is transitioning into a new era, and it would be wise to use the opportunity offered by Disney+ to not only develop heroes, but also the villains they must face. If the MCU is looking for a new big bad to gradually bring along, Apocalypse offers up one of the best combinations of popularity, power, presence and emotional depth. Building him up, slowly but inevitably, is a must, and a limited series exploring his backstory would do wonders, both for his own portrayal and the franchise at large.
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