When Marvel Studios promised that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ would be one of the most ambitious crossover events in the history of the MCU, fans assumed that meant massive battles, universe-shattering stakes, and unprecedented character pairings.
What many did not anticipate was that the sheer size of the film would lead to unpredictable and painful BTS action. One such moment recently came to light courtesy of Alan Cumming, who is reprising his role as Nightcrawler for the first time since X2.
Alan Cumming Says ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Crossover Era Has Real-World Consequences
During a very open and funny interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor disclosed that he had hurt Pedro Pascal, the MCU’s Reed Richards, in a scene they both shared. The disclosure was not only funny, but also provided a rather human insight into the mess of uniting the most popular franchises of Marvel at the same time. According to him, his very first scene with Pedro Pascal ended with Pascal injuring his neck badly enough that he had to go home. “I broke Pedro,” Cumming joked.
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When Kimmel got confused and pointed out that Reed is known to be elastic only contributed to the absurdity. However, this was not a superhero fight that went awry, as Cumming explained. No punches were used, no teleportation accidents, no superpowers. Actually, neither actors were dressed in the physical aspects that characterize them.
“No, I wasn’t fighting. No, no. I was just sort of being…. We were just together in a scene. And I wasn’t fighting, no. But he’s got these long arms and everything, so it’s quite complicated. I do have a tail, but I didn’t have my tail on at the time. And Pedro didn’t have his arms on either,” he explained. Rather, the wound seems to have been caused by mere physical choreography, coupled with the awkwardness of blocking scenes that involve characters that, in real life, defy human anatomy.
Pascal allegedly required cupping treatment on his neck to heal, which is a strange addition to a movie that is otherwise full of deities, mutants, and alien menaces. It was not about danger or drama, but about how physically demanding these massive ensemble productions can be, even when no one is throwing a punch.
What This Accident Quietly Confirms About Marvel’s Biggest Event
In addition to the humor, the story by Cumming silently confirms what fans have been speculating on eagerly: ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is not merely gathering heroes in parallel storylines, but it is actively blending them together.
The fact that Nightcrawler and Mr. Fantastic have at least one scene together is a big revelation by itself. So far, Marvel has been cautious of the extent to which it discloses the relationship between the Fantastic Four and the returning X-Men.
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This story proves that these walls are literally being brought down. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ already confirmed the reappearance of several X-Men icons. This includes Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, and Channing Tatum as Gambit. The fact that Nightcrawler finishes that lineup provides the crossover with emotional resonance.
These are the characters that contributed to the establishment of superhero cinema way before the MCU took over. The fact that Marvel is letting them communicate with more recent MCU pillars, such as Pascal’s Reed Richards, is an indication that ‘Doomsday’ is not merely a nostalgic goodbye.
It is a conscious combination of legacies. The X-Men are not being held at arm’s length; they are being put into scenes that count, and characters who will define the future of Marvel beyond the Multiverse Saga.
