Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler Makeup Got a Major Upgrade

Guess who’s making a BAMF-ing comeback? Alan Cumming is slipping back into the teleporting shoes (and tail) of Nightcrawler for the upcoming Marvel flick, Avengers: Doomsday. And this time, he’s spending less time in the makeup chair and more time charming us with that German accent.

Back in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, transforming into the blue-skinned mutant was no small feat. Cumming reminisced about the grueling process:

Before, all of the tattoos were done by hand. They hadn’t decided on them before we started filming,” Cumming shared in his interview with Variety. Now, they just stick onto my face. It’s a game changer.”

Fast forward to today, and thanks to some serious makeup wizardry, hours of makeup time have been slashed to just minutes. Cumming couldn’t be happier:

“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,” Cumming furthered.

Avengers: Doomsday isn’t just bringing back Cumming. The film boasts a reunion of original X-Men stars like Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops). They’re set to join forces (or maybe clash?) with Marvel’s current lineup, including Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. The big bad? None other than Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the role of Victor Von Doom.

Cumming is all in for the reunion and the chance to portray Nightcrawler again, especially with the more efficient makeup process enhancing his overall experience on set.

Mark your calendars: Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. Get ready for some teleporting action and, hopefully, a little less blue paint.