There is something oddly mysterious about an actor finishing work on one of Marvel Studios’ biggest upcoming films and still not being completely sure what the movie is about. For Alan Cumming, that appears to be exactly what happened with Avengers: Doomsday.
Cumming is returning as Nightcrawler, the teleporting mutant he first played in 2003’s X2: X-Men United. Yet despite completing filming, the actor has admitted that he still does not fully understand the blockbuster’s plot. His story becomes even more intriguing when he describes blue-screen filming, giant robots and a scene involving Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova that the two actors apparently filmed without even meeting each other.
Alan Cumming admits he does not fully understand Avengers: Doomsday
During an appearance on SiriusXM, Cumming was asked about his experience working on Avengers: Doomsday. Given Marvel Studios’ famously tight control over information surrounding its major releases, the actor was understandably careful about what he revealed.
But one admission immediately stood out.
“To be honest, I don’t fully understand the plot,” Cumming said.
That comment offers a strange glimpse behind the curtain of the highly secretive MCU production. Cumming has already completed work on the movie, yet his own description suggests that his involvement sometimes focused heavily on individual scenes rather than the complete narrative.
He recalled one particular sequence that was different from much of his other filming because he was actually working on a backlot rather than in front of a blue screen.
“There was a bit when we were shooting a scene, and it was one of the rare scenes when I was actually on the backlot and not in front of a blue screen,” Cumming explained.
That was apparently when a crew member began explaining what was happening around his character, including the presence of giant robots.
“And this man came and said, ‘So right now Alan, these giant robots are blah blah,’ and started to tell me the thing,” he said.
Rather than needing the entire explanation, Cumming said he was more interested in knowing exactly what he needed to do in front of the camera.
“And I was like, ‘You know what, thank you so much, but just tell me where I point my, whatever I point. And I’ll do that. Really, I just know I’m here to run around.’”
The remark was delivered humorously, but it also reveals how fragmented the filming experience can become on a huge visual-effects production.
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Why so much of Avengers: Doomsday was filmed without traditional sets
Cumming’s comments become easier to understand when looking at the filming environment he described.
Much of his work was carried out against blue screens rather than inside completed physical environments. For actors, that can mean performing scenes while visual elements, locations and effects are not physically present around them.
Instead of seeing the finished environment, performers may have to follow precise instructions about where to stand, where to look and what movements to make while the larger world is created during post-production.
Cumming contrasted those experiences with the occasional moments when he was actually working on a backlot set.
His comments do not establish that Marvel actors generally lack access to the film’s complete story. Rather, they describe his own experience on this particular production, where he sometimes received only the information needed to perform individual scenes.
That distinction is important because Avengers: Doomsday is being made under intense secrecy. Marvel Studios has released broad information about the cast and production while keeping major story details under wraps.
For Cumming, that apparently meant doing his part without necessarily having every piece of the larger puzzle.
Alan Cumming and Florence Pugh apparently filmed a scene without meeting
Then came another unexpected detail.
Cumming also discussed Florence Pugh, who returns as Yelena Belova in Avengers: Doomsday. Although the two characters apparently share a scene, Cumming said he had never actually met Pugh while filming.
The actors eventually discussed the situation when they encountered one another at the Emmy Awards earlier this month.
Cumming recalled seeing Pugh and telling her:
“And I said, ‘Gosh, it’s so funny. I’ve never met you, but you lay on top of me, or your body double did.’”
Pugh’s response was equally revealing:
“Yeah I lay on top of you as well, but it was your body double.”
The exchange provides an unusually funny example of how disconnected certain performances can become during a major visual-effects production.
Instead of physically performing the scene together, the actors’ portions could be handled separately, with body doubles and stand-ins helping production capture what was required.
Importantly, this does not establish that Nightcrawler and Yelena have limited interaction in the finished movie. Body doubles, stand-ins and separately filmed performances can all be combined later during editing and visual-effects work.
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What Cumming’s comments reveal about Marvel’s secrecy
The unusual filming experience raises an obvious question: how can an actor complete scenes for a movie without knowing the entire story?
Cumming’s comments point toward the practical realities of making a massive Marvel production while protecting major plot details.
The studio has kept Avengers: Doomsday closely guarded, releasing cast and broad production information while withholding significant story elements. That strategy is intended to protect major reveals and prevent important details from reaching audiences before the movie arrives in cinemas.
For performers, this can mean receiving the material or instructions necessary for their specific scenes without necessarily being given the complete narrative context.
Cumming’s experience should therefore not be interpreted as evidence that the cast as a whole does not know the story. His comments describe his own experience and the limited context he sometimes received while filming.
In other words, the mystery surrounding Avengers: Doomsday remains very much intact.
Alan Cumming is returning as Nightcrawler more than 20 years after X2
The story is particularly notable because Cumming is not playing a new Marvel character.
His return as Kurt Wagner, better known as Nightcrawler, brings him back to the role more than two decades after X2: X-Men United in 2003.
The character’s return is part of a much larger gathering of performers and characters associated with different eras of Marvel’s screen history.
Cumming is joined by several returning X-Men actors, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn.
The film also brings together a major group of modern MCU performers.
Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the franchise in a completely different role as Victor von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom, after spending more than a decade portraying Tony Stark/Iron Man.
The ensemble also includes:
| Actor | Character / Marvel connection stated in the available information |
| Alan Cumming | Nightcrawler |
| Patrick Stewart | Returning X-Men performer |
| Ian McKellen | Returning X-Men performer |
| James Marsden | Returning X-Men performer |
| Rebecca Romijn | Returning X-Men performer |
| Robert Downey Jr. | Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom |
| Chris Evans | Returning cast member |
| Chris Hemsworth | Returning cast member |
| Pedro Pascal | Returning cast member |
| Paul Rudd | Returning cast member |
| Anthony Mackie | Returning cast member |
| Florence Pugh | Yelena Belova |
| Vanessa Kirby | Returning cast member |
| Ebon Moss-Bachrach | Returning cast member |
| Channing Tatum | Returning cast member |
| Tom Hiddleston | Returning cast member |
| Sebastian Stan | Returning cast member |
The combination of established MCU characters, returning X-Men performers and new versions of major Marvel figures has made Avengers: Doomsday one of Marvel Studios’ most closely watched upcoming releases.
Nightcrawler’s return also involves physical stunt work
Cumming has previously spoken about another aspect of returning to the character.
Earlier in September, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he discussed taking on stunt work for Avengers: Doomsday.
His return therefore involves more than simply putting the Nightcrawler costume back on or reprising the character’s appearance. Cumming has been involved in physical performance work as Marvel brings the mutant back into a much larger ensemble.
Nightcrawler’s teleportation abilities also make visual effects and stunt work an important part of portraying the character.
And given Cumming’s description of spending much of his time working against blue screens, it appears that at least some of that physical performance took place without the finished visual world surrounding him.
When is Avengers: Doomsday coming out?
Despite the secrecy, one major detail is already known: Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026.
The film is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the filmmakers behind Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, as well as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
The movie is positioned as a major multiverse story for Marvel Studios and is expected to connect characters and storylines from different parts of the franchise.
But the complete plot remains under wraps.
That makes Cumming’s comments particularly interesting. He has now provided a behind-the-scenes look at a production involving blue screens, giant robots, body doubles and tightly controlled information, yet somehow managed to reveal very little about the actual story.
The biggest mystery may still be how Nightcrawler fits into the story
For now, Cumming knows the practical side of his return: where he needed to stand, what he needed to do and, as he jokingly put it, that he was there to “run around.”
The bigger picture is still far less clear.
His comments do not reveal the major story beats of Avengers: Doomsday, nor do they establish exactly how Nightcrawler will interact with the wider Marvel ensemble. Instead, they offer a rare glimpse into how an actor can work on a secretive, effects-heavy production while only seeing pieces of the larger picture.
The Florence Pugh story adds another layer to that unusual process. Cumming and Pugh apparently filmed portions of a scene without meeting, with body doubles helping create the interaction that audiences will eventually see.
And somewhere behind all the blue screens, backlot sets, giant robots and carefully controlled information sits the movie that Marvel is still refusing to fully explain.
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Conclusion
Alan Cumming’s return as Nightcrawler has already created plenty of curiosity around Avengers: Doomsday, but his latest comments make the production seem even more mysterious. The actor says he still does not fully understand the plot, described filming much of his work against blue screens and revealed that he apparently shared a filmed moment involving Florence Pugh without actually meeting her during production.
None of those details reveals the film’s central story. Instead, they show just how unusual the filmmaking process can be when Marvel is attempting to protect a major multiverse blockbuster from spoilers.
With Avengers: Doomsday scheduled for December 18, 2026, the biggest question remains unanswered: exactly where does Nightcrawler fit into everything Marvel has been quietly building?
Source Disclaimer
This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original verified information, including SiriusXM, Marvel Studios, The Independent, Entertainment Weekly, TheWrap and BroadwayWorld. The article reflects the information available from those sources and the supplied material. Marvel has not publicly disclosed the film’s complete plot, so details beyond officially confirmed information should be treated as unverified until announced by the studio.
Sources
- The Independent: Alan Cumming says he doesn’t understand Avengers: Doomsday’s plot — Contemporary reporting on Cumming’s SiriusXM comments.
- Entertainment Weekly: Alan Cumming doesn’t fully understand the plot — Reporting on the interview and his filming experience.
- TheWrap: Alan Cumming admits he doesn’t fully understand the plot — Contemporary report containing the interview details.
- BroadwayWorld: Alan Cumming on Avengers: Doomsday — Report reproducing the relevant interview statements.
Featured Image Credit: 20th Century Fox / Marvel Studios
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