Alan Cumming Has Wrapped On AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY; Details ‘Amazing’ Return As Nightcrawler

Alan Cumming is opening up about what it was like stepping back into the role of Nightcrawler for Avengers: Doomsday, and he describes the eXperience as nothing short of “insane.”

The 60-year-old Emmy winner was confirmed earlier this year to be among the returning actors from the X-Men films, reprising his fan-favorite role as the teleporting mutant. The upcoming Marvel epic is slated for release in December 2026, more than 20 years after Cumming first appeared as Nightcrawler in 2003’s X2: X-Men United.

Speaking at a panel for The Traitors during the Televerse 2025 conference in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, Cumming revealed to People that he wrapped filming on the project earlier this month.

“I just came back. It was amazing. It was actually really… 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 said. “A great film, great film. I love the film.”

Although X2 became one of the most acclaimed entries in the franchise, Cumming recalls the production being far from enjoyable. “Miserable” is the word he used to describe his time on set, citing “awful” circumstances that he’s spoken about in the past.

Among those challenges were the grueling hours in the makeup chair, sometimes as long as five hours. And clashes with director Bryan Singer, both of which Cumming detailed in his book Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life.

Returning for Avengers: Doomsday, however, turned out to be a much better experience.

“It was actually really great to go back. And especially, I’m 60 years old. I did not think I would be doing stunts, playing a superhero in my 60s. So that was great,” Cumming said. “And everyone was really nice. And I got it done really quickly because I couldn’t go, because of The Traitors, when most of my scenes were being shot.”

He explained that his work on the film was scheduled efficiently: “So I squashed them all together, and got a green screen and various things and little scenes of people here and there. But it was pretty stealthy.”

Marvel Studios first announced his return alongside several other X-Men veterans including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Kelsey Grammer and James Marsden. The star-studded cast also features Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, along with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Paul Rudd.

Source: People