The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always thrived on ambition. From the game-changing team-up in ‘The Avengers’ to ‘Avengers: Endgame’, each crossover raised the bar for what superhero storytelling could accomplish on the big screen.
Now, seven years after ‘Endgame’, Marvel Studios is preparing to do it all over again, and if David Harbour’s words are any indication, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ could be the most ambitious Marvel project to date.
David Harbour Praises Russo Brothers’ ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
The ‘Thunderbolts*’ actor, who reprised his role as the Red Guardian, recently spoke with SR at Rose City Comic Con. Harbour described the scale, heart, and spectacle of Joe and Anthony Russo’s upcoming Marvel epic. “I was not even convinced when we started, and this movie’s gonna be really good. They have a special sauce,” Harbour said of the Russos. “It’s incredible. I will say I’ve never been on a set like this in my life. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
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According to Harbour, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is not just another Marvel installment. The film is an event designed to echo, and perhaps surpass, the scale of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Packed with at least 27 primary and secondary characters, multiversal stakes, and the long-awaited introduction of Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom, the movie faces the tallest order Marvel has ever attempted.
Harbour compared the scale to looking around a room filled with icons and realizing he was sharing the screen with legends. “It’s just insane to look around the room and be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m in the movie,’” he laughed. Yet, what will define ‘Doomsday’ isn’t just the size of its cast or the spectacle of universes colliding. Marvel fans have seen big before. What makes this new chapter unique is its challenge to weave humanity into chaos.
The 2015 Secret Wars comics, which appear to be a heavy inspiration, thrived because they placed human struggles at the heart of cosmic destruction. The stakes, however, extend beyond the narrative. With fan expectations sky-high, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cannot afford to stumble under its own ambition. If it succeeds, it could redefine the MCU’s future after years of uncertainty and scattered storylines.
Alan Cumming On His Nightcrawler Return
Adding to the excitement, Alan Cumming confirmed that he has already wrapped filming for his return as Nightcrawler, the fan-favorite mutant teleporter last seen in X2. Cumming shared his delight in stepping back into the role over two decades later. “Well, I’ve already done it. I finished it,” he revealed. The actor admitted he hadn’t rewatched X2 before reprising Nightcrawler, which surprisingly freed him to rediscover the character in a fresh way.
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“I think that was what really helped, because this is super intense, and is loads of stuff at once.” He recalled how the stunt team was shocked at his energy: “They couldn’t believe I could get up, let alone jump around and do this boxing and training.” Cumming also praised the advancements in makeup and visual effects that made his return smoother. What once required four to five grueling hours in the makeup chair now takes only 90 minutes.
With modern CGI and face replacement technology, he felt freer to focus on actually performing Nightcrawler rather than being buried under prosthetics. “I did feel that I got a chance to really portray the character again properly,” he said. Cumming won’t be the only familiar face returning. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn are also reprising their iconic X-Men roles.
