Oscar Isaac is considered one of the finest actors working today, but he hasn't had the easiest time of it when it comes to blockbuster roles.
Despite being excellent as Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the character wasn't utilised to the fullest of his potential, and Isaac has talked openly about his disappointment with how things played out (including Lucasfilm's failure to tackle a possible relationship with Finn).
Unfortunately, Isaac didn't fare much better in Fox's X-Men Universe, and while he was well cast as En Sabah Nur in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, the villain's appearance left a lot to be desired. The actor found himself hidden beneath heavy, not overly good, prosthetics, and comparisons to Power Rangers' Ivan Ooze quickly turned Isaac into a meme.
During an appearance on the latest episode of Hot Ones, Isaac was asked about being buried under a 40lb costume after previously describing his time as Apocalypse as "excruciating."
"One of the big reasons I did the job, I was like [Michael] Fassbender? Jennifer Lawrence? [James] McAvoy? All these amazing actors. Yeah!" he recalled. "And then I never saw any of them because I was so overheated. And like I couldn’t turn. So, I just got put in this cooling tent."
"Sometimes someone would come by and be like [patting him on the back], 'Hey Oscar.' I’d be like, 'Huh?' And by the time I turned around, they were gone already," Isaac continued. "So, it was very challenging. But I am thankful for the cooling tent."
Despite repeatedly talking negatively about his experience working on X-Men: Apocalypse—Fox's attempt to bring the franchise more in line with the MCU backfired, as it was considered a major disappointment after Days of Future Past—Isaac refused to disown the movie in 2022.
"I know exactly what I went in there wanting to do and the reasons why. There were these amazing actors involved that I really wanted to work with. I collected X-Men growing up, and I loved Apocalypse, I just found him such a freaky, weird character. And then you get there and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got all these prosthetics on. I’ve got a suit on. I can’t move. I can’t see anybody. I still think back to that time with fondness. I wish it would have been a better film and that they would have taken care of the character a little better, but those are the risks."
The actor has since played the MCU's Moon Knight, but with still no word on a Season 2 or any other sort of return plans, it's looking increasingly likely that it was a one-and-done role for Isaac. There's been some Midnight Sons chatter, but nothing concrete.
Appearing at the Paris premiere of Netflix's Frankenstein movie last October, Isaac was asked by a fan whether he'll appear in Avengers: Secret Wars and replied, "It’s a secret, you know...but no."
You can watch the full Hot Ones episode with Isaac in the player below.