22 years after playing Nightcrawler, X-Men star Alan Cumming reacts to Avengers: Doomsday casting news in the most iconic way

Alan Cummings as Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

X-Men star Alan Cumming has shown the world that he’s still got the moves 22 years later as he prepares to reprise his role as Nightcrawler following Avengers: Doomsday casting news.

Days after Marvel released a huge chunk of the Doomsday cast list, star Cumming has taken to Instagram to share his reaction. In the video captioned "Never say never," Cumming jumps onto a set of stairs, striking his signature Nightcrawler pose. All that’s missing now is his tail. Check out the video below.

Cumming’s casting in Avengers: Doomsday, which was announced during the 5 hour long livestream which took place on March 26, came as a complete shock to Marvel fans as the star hasn't suited up as Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler since the 2003 movie X2: X-Men United. The star never returned as the Mutant again, until now.

Nightcrawler, first introduced in the Giant-Size X-Men comic in May 1975, is a dark blue-skinned mutant with the ability to teleport to any known location. He also possesses superhuman reflexes and agility, and has sharp teeth and a pointed tail. The character has appeared once more in the X-Men series, in the 2016 flick X-Men: Apocalypse, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee.

However, Cumming is not the only X-Men star to be cast in Avengers 5, as four more original stars have also joined the Marvel Phase 6 project. Patrick Stewart will return as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, James Marsden as Cyclops, Channing Tatum as Gambit, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. This has left fans wondering if Doomsday could include an Avengers vs X-Men side storyline, however, our writer is concerned this could mean the MCU is killing off our favorite Mutants for good.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, or keep up with upcoming Marvel movies.

Editorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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