Alan Cumming called the experience of reprising his role as mutant hero Nightcrawler in Avengers: Doomsday “really healing” after the “miserable” filming of X2: X-Men United.
Speaking to People in a new interview, The Traitors host detailed how he had “just finished” shooting the much-hyped Russo Brothers pic earlier this month. The two-time Emmy winner first originated the role in Bryan Singer’s X2 (2003), and will now once again portray the blue-skinned teleporting Kurt Wagner in the Dec. 18, 2026 Marvel Studios entry.
“I just came back. It was amazing. It was actually really— in a sort of ooey, gooey way, it was really healing and really nice to go back to something that it was a terrible experience when I did it the first time,” the actor said. “A great film, great film. I love the film.”
Cumming noted he was “miserable” amid filming X2, which he added was “awful for a variety of reasons that I have talked about at length.” Cumming has previously spoken about the “dangerous” and “abusive” set under Singer, an embattled director who has since been ousted from Hollywood following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior.
However, the producer noted that Doomsday has been an enjoyable experience: “It was actually really great to go back. And especially, I’m 60 years old. I did not think I would be doing stunts, playing a superhero in my 60s. So that was great. And everyone was really nice. And I got it done really quickly because I couldn’t go, because of The Traitors, when most of my scenes were being shot. So I squashed them all together, and got a green screen and various things and little scenes of people here and there.”
Cumming confirmed news of his casting in the who’s who MCU project back in late March. Though plot details are still sparse, it’s known that mainstay Robert Downey Jr. will return as supervillain Dr. Doom, and the cast will be rounded out by James Marsden (also reprising his X-Men role), Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Danny Ramirez, Hannah John-Kamen, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Kelsey Grammer, Channing Tatum, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Lewis Pullman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps actors Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
