Downey Jr.’s shift from hero to villain is one of the most talked-about moves in Marvel history. The Russo brothers’ confidence in his performance has only fueled fan anticipation for his take on the iconic Doctor Doom
Alan Cumming is making a spectacular return to the Marvel universe, reprising his role as Nightcrawler in the upcoming MCU blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday. The 60-year-old actor, who first portrayed the fan-favorite mutant in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, expressed excitement and surprise at stepping back into superhero action after more than two decades.
Speaking with fellow X-Men alum Olivia Munn for Collider, Cumming revealed a major reason he agreed to return: advancements in the makeup process. “Isn’t it nuts? I’m excited and amazed. It’s been 23 years since I was a superhero,” he said. “Before, it was about four and a half hours to apply it, but now it’s only 90 minutes.” He added that technology has transformed how Nightcrawler’s distinctive look is created: “Before, all the tattoos were done by hand. Now, they just stick onto my face. It’s a game changer.” Cumming shared that Avengers: Doomsday will begin filming soon in London and teased that the film is “going to be nuts,” hinting at an epic production.
Cumming isn’t the only X-Men veteran returning. Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) are all set to reprise their iconic roles. Their return marks a historic moment, bringing beloved characters from the earlier X-Men films into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) canon for the first time.
Adding even more star power, Channing Tatum—who portrayed Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine—will also appear. However, Tatum humorously downplayed his involvement during an interview with ExtraTV: “Personally, all I was guaranteed was a chair. They said that I have a chair, and I can at least watch the movie from the chair. It was just my name, it wasn’t exactly Gambit.”
While many familiar faces are returning, one notable absence will be Halle Berry, who portrayed Storm across several X-Men films from 2000’s X-Men to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. Asked if she would consider returning, Berry simply said, “Nope!” during a chat with Extra.
Avengers: Doomsday is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious projects yet. The story will see the Avengers team up with the Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts, and the X-Men to battle Doctor Doom—a villain whose arrival has been teased for years. In a jaw-dropping twist, Doctor Doom will be portrayed by none other than Robert Downey Jr., marking the actor’s return to Marvel in an entirely new role after his emotional farewell as Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, are back to oversee the massive crossover. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Anthony Russo explained why Downey Jr. was their only choice for the role: “We can’t explain that as it’s part of the story, but there’s nobody else in the world who could play this character the way he’s about to.”
Downey Jr.’s shift from hero to villain is one of the most talked-about moves in Marvel history. The Russo brothers’ confidence in his performance has only fueled fan anticipation for his take on the iconic Doctor Doom.
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit theaters in 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, which will conclude this next major saga of interconnected Marvel storytelling. With nostalgic returns, major surprises, and high-stakes battles ahead, Doomsday promises to be a once-in-a-generation cinematic event.
Fans can look forward to a nostalgic yet fresh adventure as old favorites and new faces unite to face the greatest threat the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever known.