Alan Cumming on Filming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “I don’t know who I was acting with half the time”

Alan Cumming is back in the Marvel world as Nightcrawler, and he’s not shy about sharing what it’s been like filming Avengers: Doomsday. The actor, who first played the teleporting mutant in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, admitted that the experience this time around has been very different.

Talking about the production, Cumming said that most of his work was done alone. “I did the entire film in isolation. Lots of green screen, face replacement. They even gave characters fake names. I don’t know who I was acting with half the time,” he laughed.

He also joked about his past slip-ups, adding, “I broke the internet by mentioning something once, but honestly, I might have got it wrong.”

When he first played Nightcrawler years ago, Cumming often said he didn’t want to come back because of how long it took to get into the heavy makeup and costume. Now, thanks to modern effects, the process is much faster and less demanding. That change seems to have made his return much easier.

Marvel officially confirmed his comeback during a massive five-hour live stream that revealed 27 cast members for the upcoming crossover. Alongside newcomers like Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, fans were excited to see familiar X-Men actors also making a return. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn are all coming back to their iconic roles, making Doomsday one of the biggest crossover projects Marvel has ever attempted.

Cumming’s return, though, has been a bit more colorful thanks to his tendency to spill secrets. While guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he asked the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps about avoiding spoilers. Pascal, who plays Mister Fantastic, quickly reminded him of his own track record. “It’s funny that you should ask,” Pascal teased. “The biggest leak that we’ve had comes from our host.”

Pascal was talking about a comment Cumming made earlier this year, when he mentioned a fight between Nightcrawler and Mister Fantastic in Avengers: Doomsday. The slip caused trouble for him behind the scenes. “My publicist called me,” Cumming admitted. “You know the wrath of your publicist is, not the wrath you want to have.”

Avengers: Doomsday is being directed by the Russo brothers, with Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely writing the script. The movie is set to bring together the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, New Avengers, and Wakandans as they face Doctor Doom, who will be played by Robert Downey Jr. The film arrives in US theaters on December 18, 2026, and will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.

With Cumming back as Nightcrawler, and such a massive cast assembled, Doomsday is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious projects yet.

First reported by Gold Derby.

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