Kurt Wagner, a.k.a. Nightcrawler, is one of the most iconic members of the X-Men. And his portrayal by The Traitors’ Alan Cumming in X2: X-Men United is definitely one of that film’s best aspects. But despite shining to brightly in that film, Cumming did not return for any of the sequels. He cited hating the long makeup process as his reasons for swearing off a return. So it was a great shock to see his name announced as returning for Avengers: Doomsday after 22 years. So what convinced Cumming to come back? Via Variety, we learned that while appearing on Today With Jenna and Friends, he said the quicker makeup process convinced him he could return. Here’s what he had to say:
Isn’t it nuts? I’m excited and amazed. 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. 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.
As an openly LGBTQ actor, Cumming went viral last year after saying that X2 was “The gayest film he ever worked on his career.” He added “I love the fact that something so mainstream and so in the comic book world is so queer.” He’s not wrong, as the X-Men franchise, both in comics and other media, has a strong queer subtext, and a legion of LGBTQ fans. The films merely picked up what was already there from decades of comics and cartoons.
Also starring in Avengers: Doomsday from the classic X-Men movies is Kelsey Grammer as Beast, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. This means that for the first time, all the original blue mutants will be together in one film. Of course, as excited as we are for Alan Cumming’s return, we still feel disappointment that this X-Men reunion is so dude-heavy. It feels incomplete without Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, and especially Halle Berry as Storm. Particularly because Nightcrawler and Storm had a special bond in X2. But as with all things Marvel, who knows what surprises are in store.
Content shared from nerdist.com.