Alan Cumming Says it Was ‘Really Healing’ Playing Nightcrawler in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ After ‘Awful’ Experience Shooting ‘X2’: ‘I Love the Film’

Alan Cumming was happy to get a do-over playing Nightcrawler in “Avengers: Doomsday“.

In a recent interview with People, “The Traitors” host said it was “really healing” to return to the role of the teleporting mutant after having a “terrible” time during his first pass at the character in 2003’s “X2.”

“I just came back,” Cumming said. “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 was a terrible experience when I did it the first time. A great film, great film. I love the film.”

Cumming added that filming “X2” with defamed director Bryan Singer was “miserable” and “awful for a variety of reasons that I have talked about at length.” However, filming “Doomsday” has been the complete opposite experience for the Emmy winner.

“It was actually really great to go back,” he added. “I’m 60 years old. I did not think I would be doing stunts, playing a superhero in my 60s. So that was great. 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.”

Cumming is not the only X-Man returning for “Doomsday.” Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn will also appear in the major Marvel team-up.

Several core MCU-favorites have also returned for the film, including Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Letitia Wright and Winston Duke.

“Avengers: Doomsday” comes to theaters Dec. 18, 2026. Its sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” debuts Dec. 17, 2027.