MCU’s First Major Crossover Event Was “Superhero Soup” For One Returning Star
Alan Cumming says returning as Nightcrawler in *Avengers: Doomsday* has reminded him how much he enjoyed playing the mutant, despite his difficult experience making *X2: X-Men United*. The casting came as a surprise after more than 20 years, and he describes the crowded film as “superhero soup”.
Cumming says Nightcrawler has a sensitive and funny side, though he has only a limited role in the new film. He also finds the expanded Marvel franchise hard to keep up with: since *X2* was released in 2003, the MCU has grown to include more than 30 films and numerous television series, which he says feel impossible to watch in full.
In short
- Alan Cumming is returning as Nightcrawler after more than 20 years.
- He says playing the character again was a pleasant surprise.
- He calls the crowded crossover “superhero soup”.
Explained simply
Nightcrawler is a blue-skinned mutant from Marvel’s X-Men stories, with the ability to teleport and a distinctive appearance. Alan Cumming first played him in X2: X-Men United, a 2003 film about the X-Men, a group of people born with unusual abilities who face suspicion and conflict with humans.
The X-Men films began before Marvel Studios built its interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. That franchise now spans films and television series, bringing characters from different stories together; Avengers: Doomsday is part of that wider crossover approach.
Cumming’s return links the newer Marvel films to the earlier X-Men era. His comments also reflect the scale of a franchise that has expanded over many years, with numerous characters and stories for audiences to follow.