One Avengers: Doomsday actor may have spoiled an X-Men vs. Fantastic Four fight scene in the upcoming Russo Brothers-directed film. The upcoming super-powered team-up (starring the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, and Channing Tatum) will not only see characters from across the MCU come together to take on Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom but will also include legacy Marvel actors from the Fox X-Men films (i.e., James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen).
Former X-Man actor Alan Cumming teased that his Nightcrawler character will come to blows with Pedro Pascal's Mr. Fantastic in Avengers: Doomsday, potentially as a part of a greater X-Men vs. Fantastic Four action sequence. This tease from Cumming could be just the latest piece of evidence pointing toward a potential Avengers vs. X-Men twist to the upcoming Avengers film.
The Nightcrawler star let slip in a BuzzFeed UK interview that he is "learning these fights," including one where he is "hitting Pedro Pascal against the head:"
"Oh yeah, oh, lots. Well, especially right now, 'cause I'm doing it again: the X-Men film, like I'm playing Nightcrawler again now. I was just working with these… I've been learning stunts yesterday for some fight scene and I just think, 'I'm 60 years old. 23 years ago, I played that superhero. I was kind of old for a superhero even then and now I'm back doing it.' And I just… that, to me, is hilarious. And I'm sort of learning these fights, I'm like, 'What? Who am I fighting with?' They said, 'You're fight– you're hitting Pedro Pascal against the head or something. It's just that I can't quite believe– especially 'cause it was such a long time ago, but actually that's quite a nice thing I think is about life and about as you get older, that things come back. They always do and people come back and it's actually a really nice thing about getting older."
While not outright confirming X-Men vs. Fantastic Four action, it sounds likely that the two superhero teams will clash in the new MCU film; otherwise, why would Nightcrawler be throwing hands with Mr. Fantastic?
Avengers: Doomsday races into theaters on May 1, 2026. The film marks the return of veteran MCU star Robert Downey Jr.; however, instead of playing his armor-clad hero, Iron Man, the Oscar-winning actor will portray a Multiversal take on the villainous Doctor Doom.
Doom's emergence forces the Avengers to unite again, including new and old heroes like Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi, and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova. The movie will also see fan-favorite filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo (best known for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame) return to the franchise and sit in the MCU director's chair.
Is Doomsday Secretly an Avengers vs X-Men Movie?
Since the movie's official casting announcement, fans have speculated that Avengers: Doomsday could secretly be an Avengers vs. X-Men movie, pitting the MCU's best and brightest against classic X-Men movie characters from Fox's take on the marvelous mutant team. And these latest comments from Alan Cumming add fuel to that.
While the movie is called Doomsday and will likely be focused on the arrival of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, there is a chance that it could at least start on an Avengers vs. X-Men plot.
Seeing as this is all leading up to the exciting Avengers: Secret Wars story, where multiple realities may come together to take down the dastardly Victor Von Doom, what better way to set up that conflict than by pitting two Earths from across the Marvel Multiverse against each other without its heroes knowing they are being toyed with.
This could see Doom setting up teams like the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men from different universes fighting for the survival of their own reality for his enjoyment.
That way, Marvel Studios could ready heavy hitters like Thor clashing with beloved characters from Marvel movies past, like Magneto or Cyclops, before they are forced to collaborate to take down a common threat.
Of course, there is always the chance that this Cumming comment is regarding a minor spat some of the super-powered teams have in the movie (similar to when the Avengers met for the first time in 2012's The Avengers); however, it may also be yet another wink and nod at a greater Avengers vs. X-Men battle coming in the 2026 movie.
