Alan Cumming is returning as Nightcrawler in Avengers: Doomsday, set for release December 18, 2026. It is his first appearance as the teleporting mutant since X2: X-Men United in 2003.
In a recent interview with The Wrap, Cumming was candid about his grasp of the film's plot. "To be honest, I don't fully understand the plot," he said. According to PinkNews, he was not permitted to read the full screenplay during production. "Really, I just know I'm here to run around."
The physical transformation has been significantly streamlined. What once took four and a half hours now takes 90 minutes. Nightcrawler's tattoos are now applied as stickers rather than hand-done. In a concession to Cumming's age, the character will have grey hair.
Joining him from the original X-Men films are Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn. The broader cast also includes Florence Pugh. Cumming encountered Pugh at the Emmys before they realized they had technically shared a scene without ever meeting on set. "Yeah I lay on top of you as well, but it was your body double," Pugh reportedly told him, according to PinkNews.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters December 18.
