What a difference two decades make. Alan Cumming recently said during an interview on “Today With Jenna and Friends” that he’s already begun makeup tests for “Avengers: Doomsday.” He is reprising his “X2: X-Men United” role of Nightcrawler in the upcoming Marvel tentpole, alongside fellow “X-Men” co-stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn and Kelsey Grammer. Cumming said advancements in movie makeup have dramatically cut back the amount of time he’ll spend transforming into the blue-skinned and tattooed Nightcrawler.
“Isn’t it nuts? I’m excited and amazed,” Cumming said. “It’s been 23 years since I was a superhero. I’ve had some makeup tests already for the role, but 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.”
“Before, all of the tattoos were done by hand,” he added. “They hadn’t decided on them before we started filming. Now, they just stick onto my face. It’s a game changer. I’m going back to being a 60-year-old superhero, and everyone seems really lovely.”
Cumming only got to play Nightcrawler once on the big screen. He did not return for “X-Men” sequels like “The Last Stand” or “Days of Future Past.” He went viral last year for calling “X2: X-Men United” the “gayest film” he ever worked on his career, adding: “It’s got a queer director, lots of queer actors in it. I love the fact that something so mainstream and so in the comic book world is so queer.”
The actor’s revelation prompted joy from “X-Men” screenwriter David Hayter, who later told TMZ: “I’m so glad we did right by him. He’s such an icon for gay rights. Ian McKellen also really recognized the allegory of it from a gay perspective.”
“In a way, those sorts of films really help people understand queerness, because you can address it in an artistic way, and everyone is less scared of the concept,” Cumming added about his “X2” experience. “It’s an allegory about queerness, about people having these great gifts and really great, powerful things that they have to hide to exist. Queer people understand what that’s all about.”
“Avengers: Doomsday” is set for release May 1, 2026 from Disney and Marvel Studios.
