‘It’s been 23 years since I was a superhero’: Alan Cumming reacts to playing a 60-year-old Nightcrawler in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Alan Cumming, who fans love for playing Nightcrawler in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, is coming back to play the famous blue-skinned mutant in Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The actor recently shared how surprised and thrilled he is to step into the role again after twenty years, and he gave some details about how the movie is being made and what it’s like for him to return to such a tough part.

“Isn’t it nuts? It’s been 23 years since I was a superhero.” he said on Today with Jenna & Friends, “I’m going back to being a 60-year-old superhero, and everyone seems really lovely.” His comments have gotten a lot of attention. One of the most interesting things Cumming talked about was how much better the makeup process is now compared to when he first played Nightcrawler.

Cumming said, “What’s great about it was that before it was about four-and-a-half hours to apply it, but now it’s only 90 minutes.” This big improvement for Avengers: Doomsday comes from using stick-on tattoos instead of having them carefully painted on by hand. Cumming called this change a “game-changer,” and it sounds like it was a big reason he agreed to play the role again.

Nightcrawler is back in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

The actor also gave some useful updates on when Avengers: Doomsday is filming. According to Variety, he said he’s already done makeup tests and will start shooting soon, with plans to fly to London on April 6, 2025. This matches earlier reports that the movie began filming in March 2025, with an official start date of March 26, meaning the production is moving faster than many people expected.

Fans are really excited about Cumming’s return, especially since other original X-Men actors are coming back too. Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops) are all returning, which adds a lot of nostalgia and hype for longtime fans. There’s a lot of guessing about what Avengers: Doomsday will be about, and one popular idea is that the original X-Men team will be key players in a huge battle that might involve Doctor Doom.

The fact that so many classic characters are returning makes this theory seem even more likely, suggesting the story will be massive with high stakes. The movie’s cast is full of big names, including Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. With so many famous actors and familiar faces from past Marvel movies, this film is shaping up to be special.

With how huge Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be, bringing back fan-favorite characters and adding an incredible cast, there’s already a ton of excitement. Alan Cumming’s happy reaction and his behind-the-scenes updates have only made fans more eager. As the release date of May 1, 2026, gets closer, everyone is waiting to see Nightcrawler on screen again and to find out what part he’ll play in the next big Marvel story.