Oscar Isaac Marvel movie performances ranked from worst to best
Oscar Isaac has done something no other actor has done. As of now, he’s played three separate Marvel Comics characters. Certainly, other performers will go on to do this. For example, Hailee Steinfeld played Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) and Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy). Chris Evans was Johnny Storm and Steve Rogers. It’s an easy guess that other performers will reach three characters. Nevertheless, Oscar Isaac will always be the first to achieve the feat.
Oscar Isaac didn’t portray just any Marvel Comics character. He was En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse), Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099), and Marc Spector (and all of his various personalities). Each of these characters are well known in the comic book community. Adding to that, he was also in all three of the four major Marvel movie companies (Disney, Sony, and Fox). The only one he’s missing is ABC. He’s like the nexus of Marvel.
Some performers are the same person whoever they play. None of Oscar Isaac’s Marvel performances are the same. Isaac provided something different each time. That also means some performances were better than others. And here they are. All three ranked from worst to best.
3. En Sabah Nur
Marvel project: X-Men: Apocalypse
"“So much faith in their tools, in their machines. You can fire your arrows from the Tower of Babel, but you can never strike god!”- En Sabah Nur"
In a previous article ranking the best villains of the 20th Century Fox Marvel era, this writer ranked Apocalypse ninth (out of 12). A lot of it had nothing to do with Oscar Isaac himself. When you give a performer a script, they can only do so much. Even if they’re great at improvising lines, only so much can be done. In this case, Isaac had to overcome a bad plot, some dreadful acting, and a horrible costume. In the end, En Sabah Nur was good, just not great. However, it wasn’t his fault.
Oscar Isaac could have been better if given a different creative team. There were two big problems with the character. First, the audio of Apocalypse was weird. The double voice works for Venom, but not for En Sabah Nur. It was as if the voice was meant to be scary. Apocalypse doesn’t need tricks to be terrifying. His powers and speeches do that. The second was his white eyes. They were supposed to signify him using his powers. It came off looking cheesy.
Neither negative was his fault, but they were distracting. Had those two things not been a factor, Isaac’s body language would have been the focal point. That would have been enough for him to take control of each scene. Instead, X-Men: Apocalypse remains one of the worst movies in Marvel history.
2. Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099)
Marvel project: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
"“But I’m not like the others. I don’t always like what I have to do. But I know I have to be the one to do it._- Miguel O’Hara"
This wasn’t what this writer expected when Miguel O’Hara appeared at the end of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It looked like he would have a fun or accidentally entertaining personality. When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse debuted, it was clear that wouldn’t be the case.
Miguel O’Hara was beaten by a tragic life. That defeat gave him a mission to make sure that no one would go through the emotional pain he did. His journey became an obsession that festered and turned him into something resembling a monster. Despite that appearance, Miguel O’Hara wasn’t wrong. He was protecting the multiverse from destruction and he was the only person fit for the job.
It takes a special person to bring a character to life with only their voice. Of course, the animation team was key in this as well. They created a flawless look for Miguel O’Hara. Nevertheless, Oscar Isaac had to contribute to the awesomeness that was Spider-Man 2099. Otherwise, O’Hara wouldn’t have become a phenomenal character.
Miguel O’Hara has moments where he sounded evil, annoyed, and frustrated. Since he was wearing a mask at times, all of those emotions were conveyed through his voice. You could feel the emotion every time he spoke. And, with O’Hara being an intense person at all times, it couldn’t be turned off. A perfect voice-acting performance.
1. Marc Spector, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley, Moon Knight
Marvel project: Moon Knight
"“We do come as like a package deal now, so you are gonna have to deal with me now.”- Steven Grant"
There’s no way this couldn’t be Oscar Isaac’s best performance. He wasn’t just good as one character. He was extraordinary as Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley. One person had to pull off three contrasting personalities in one series. More than that, he had to pull off their mannerisms as well.
Steven Grant was always so anxious that he could barely speak up for himself. Even when he was silent, Steven looked nervous. Marc Spector was a hardened soldier who was always sure of what needed to be done. Sometimes that meant losing everything he loved. He was stiff, never smiled, and spoke in a deeper tone. Jake Lockley wasn’t seen for longer than a minute. Nevertheless, that short serving size was different. He was angrier and more ruthless than Marc was. This writer can’t wait to see this in action for longer than a few seconds.
Oscar Isaac’s roles as En Sabah Nur in X-Men Apocalypse and Miguel O’Hara Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse weren’t as good as his performances in Moon Knight. In fact, it may not even be fair to compare them. It’s three performances against two. Then again, that just speaks to the greatness that is Oscar Isaac.
How would you rank Oscar Isaac’s Marvel performances? Let us know in the comments below.