Rebecca Romijn Says It Takes Ridiculously Long to Become Mystique in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Rebecca Romijn is officially back as Mystique after more than a decade away from the role. The last time fans saw her playing the famous blue mutant was in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, and even then, it was just a quick cameo without her name in the credits.

But now, she’s returning for Avengers: Doomsday, alongside some of her old X-Men co-stars like Allan Cumming, James Marsden, Sir Ian McKellen, and Sir Patrick Stewart.

Talking to ET recently, Romijn opened up about what it’s like stepping back into Mystique’s blue skin. When asked how it feels to return after so long, she said it’s been a really positive experience. “It’s been incredibly fun, very surreal and wonderful to be with my old cast as well as new cast.”

But it’s not all easy. Romijn explained that transforming into Mystique still takes a lot of time in the makeup chair. According to her, she spends up to seven hours every day getting the blue paint and scales applied to her body.

She joked about how she’s “currently in production” and compared her long makeup sessions to what her co-star Allan Cumming went through back in the early X-Men films.

Romijn also shared that coming back as Mystique wasn’t something she ever expected to do. “Never in a million years,” she admitted when asked if she thought she’d return to the role.

Adding a funny moment to the interview, Romijn’s Star Trek co-star Melissa Navia mentioned that Romijn’s husband, Jerry O’Connell, enjoys dressing up as Mystique for fun. Apparently, he even posted a photo of himself in full Mystique costume around the time Romijn’s return was announced.

As for what Mystique will actually be doing in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel hasn’t revealed much yet. The official plot only gives a basic outline, saying that the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and the original X-Men will team up to fight Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr.

Avengers: Doomsday is being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely. It’s the 39th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will follow up on the events of Thunderbolts* which comes out in 2025.

The movie has a massive cast featuring returning MCU heroes like Chris Hemsworth and Paul Rudd, along with new additions like Pedro Pascal and Channing Tatum.

Filming started earlier this year in England and Bahrain. According to reports from Marvel Studios, Doomsday is planned as a major crossover movie leading into Secret Wars, which will release a year later.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. Fans will have to wait until then to see exactly how Romijn’s Mystique fits into the fight against Doctor Doom.