Alan Cumming Says ‘X2’ Cast Stayed Close for 20 Years As They “Bonded in Trauma”

Alan Cumming is looking back at his time on X2 and sharing how that experience still connects him to his former castmates today.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the TriBeCa Ball in New York City, the actor opened up about returning to his role as Nightcrawler and reconnecting with the X-Men cast after more than two decades. Even though a full reunion did not happen during filming, he said many of those relationships never really went away.

“The ones that I did reunite with, I’ve seen them since,” he said in the interview with PEOPLE. He went on to explain that he has stayed close with several co-stars over the years, including Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Patrick Stewart, and James Marsden.

According to Cumming, the bond between the cast came from the tough experience they shared while making the film. He did not hold back when describing what it was like at the time.

“It’s one of those films where I think we all were so traumatized we were bonded in trauma, so we stayed in touch,” he said.

He has spoken before about how difficult filming X2 was. In earlier comments to PEOPLE, he described the experience as “miserable” and said it was “awful for a variety of reasons.” Part of that came from the long hours in makeup, which could take up to five hours a day, along with other challenges on set.

Things feel very different now as he returns for Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to release in December 2026. Cumming said going back to the character has been a much better experience this time around.

“It was really lovely to go back to something all those years later that I never thought I was going to go back to,” he said, again speaking to PEOPLE. “I actually think, ‘Oh, I really enjoyed playing this character.’”

He also described the new project as healing in a way, especially compared to how he felt during the original film.

“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,” he explained.

The upcoming film will bring together a mix of Marvel stars, including Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, and Simu Liu, along with several returning X-Men actors.

For Cumming, the return is not just about the character. It is also about reconnecting with people he has known for years, even if their shared history came from a difficult place.

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