The excitement leading up to Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster movie always sparks a whirlwind of rumors, speculation, and accidental spoilers. Remember when a certain friendly neighborhood Spider-Man actor was known for revealing secrets during interviews? Now, as we get closer to Avengers: Doomsday, the highly anticipated Avengers-level crossover marking a major event for the MCU since 2019, the stream of both genuine news and fabricated stories is set to intensify.
However, recent reports emerging from the movie’s production in the UK have raised some eyebrows. During press events and red carpet appearances, several cast members have hinted that even key figures, including returning directors Anthony and Joe Russo, seem to have limited knowledge of Doomsday‘s plot details.
The latest tidbit about Doomsday comes from Alan Cumming, the talented Scottish actor known for portraying the mutant Nightcrawler in X2. He’s among the many actors from the Fox era of X-Men movies joining the cast of Marvel’s upcoming Avengers spectacle. In a recent conversation with Gold Derby, Cumming revealed a rather surprising aspect of his role: he’s uncertain which characters he’ll be sharing scenes with.
“I filmed the entire thing in isolation,” Cumming explained. “Lots of green screen, face replacements. They even used fake names for the characters. Half the time, I had no clue who I was acting alongside.”
This revelation is a bit unsettling, especially for a large-scale, live-action movie like Avengers: Doomsday. It echoes similar comments made by another X-Men actor earlier this summer.
Back in July, Rebecca Romijn, known for her role as the shapeshifting Mystique in the Fox X-Men films and set to appear in Doomsday, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she was unsure if she had completed filming because the script wasn’t yet finalized.
“The script…they haven’t finished writing it,” she stated. “It’s been a lot of fun, but we’re still in the dark. They’re keeping everything tightly under wraps to avoid spoilers.”
To summarize, Avengers: Doomsday is well into production, but the script wasn’t complete as of late July, and the production is so shrouded in secrecy that some actors are unaware of the context of their scenes. Frankly, this doesn’t bode well for a film expected to generate billions at the box office and revitalize the MCU. High stakes, indeed! The key question is: should fans be worried?
Let’s revisit Alan Cumming’s statement. While Marvel’s practice of keeping actors uninformed about their own scenes may seem alarming, it’s actually not unusual. The Russo Brothers, the masterminds behind Infinity War and Endgame who have rejoined the MCU for Doomsday and its planned sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, have employed similar tactics before.
During the filming of Avengers: Endgame, they successfully concealed Tony Stark’s death from the entire cast. When it was time to film Iron Man’s funeral, they told everyone they were filming a wedding scene instead. The fact that the Russo Brothers managed to orchestrate a scene of the entire MCU cast looking somber during what was supposedly a wedding is remarkable. While not flawless, the scene works effectively.
Considering this, I’m slightly less concerned about Alan Cumming’s uncertainty about his co-stars as Nightcrawler in Avengers: Doomsday. The Russo Brothers have a proven track record of extracting strong performances from actors while safeguarding crucial plot details. And Cumming is a phenomenal actor. It’s entirely plausible that his scenes will still be compelling despite these limitations, right?
Regarding the unfinished script issue, Marvel and the Russo Brothers have also navigated that situation successfully in the past. Infinity War and Endgame were filmed concurrently, but the script for the latter wasn’t completed when production began on the former. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely resolved the script issues as they went, adjusting both films during production.
Despite these challenges, Infinity War and Endgame are recognized as a unified two-part story. Six years later, they’re widely regarded as a pinnacle of modern superhero storytelling and a highlight of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nothing we’ve heard about the production of Doomsday feels stranger or more unconventional than the behind-the-scenes happenings on Marvel’s previous Avengers movie.
Of course, other factors are at play, from dwindling audience interest in the MCU’s Disney Plus era to concerns surrounding Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom. These are new obstacles that didn’t exist during the Russo Brothers’ previous Avengers endeavor, and it remains to be seen if they will hinder the franchise’s success. However, for now, I’m not overly worried about Avengers: Doomsday. I just hope the production team and cast are doing well.