Over two decades after X2: X-Men United, Marvel shocked fans by announcing Alan Cumming and several of his castmates were joining the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. The actor portrayed the enigmatic yet kindhearted Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, a fan-favorite among the X-Men. His return came as a total shock, though the X-Men have already been teased in the MCU, as much of the Doomsday cast is comprised of newer Marvel heroes. Following X2, Cumming had never reprised the part until Doomsday.

In an appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends, Cumming opened up about returning to his iconic X2 role. When asked about joining the MCU, the star stated: “Isn’t it nuts? It’s been 23 years since I was a superhero.“ He then revealed he had already completed makeup tests for Nightcrawler, praising changes in the process that made it more tolerable. He explained: “What’s great about it was that before it was about four-and-a-half hours to apply it, but now it’s only 90 minutes.“

Continuing, he added that previously “all of the tattoos were done by hand because they hadn’t decided on them before we started filming, and now they’re on this little thing–they stick on.” Makeup application aside, Cumming expressed excitement over becoming Nightcrawler once more: I’m going back to being a 60-year-old superhero, and everyone seems really lovely.“

What Alan Cumming’s Comments About Nightcrawler Joining The MCU Mean

Considering that the grueling makeup process was a factor in why he returned before, the updated method, which he called “a game-changer,” might have played into his choice to play Nightcrawler again. Crucially, Cumming’s comments also reveal how far into production Doomsday is.

In addition to divulging that his makeup tests were done, he gave a major update on filming: “I head to London on [April 6, 2025], and it begins shooting quite soon; it’s going to be nuts.” For context, filming for Doomsday began in March, with the official start date of production being March 26, 2025.

Our Take On Alan Cumming’s Comments About Nightcrawler Joining The MCU

While it will likely be months before any official visuals from Doomsday are shared, just knowing that Cumming is back in costume as Nightcrawler and gearing up to film is exciting. Much speculation surrounds the choice to bring back original X-Men cast members, albeit with a few big names missing, with a prevailing theory being that the heroes may have to fight to save their universes from Doctor Doom. Regardless, seeing Cumming’s Nightcrawler after 23 years is bound to be a treat, no matter how he factors into Avengers: Doomsday.

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Source: Collider