The X-Men‘s resident teleporter Nightcrawler will soon return to movie screens thanks to Alan Cumming returning to the character for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. However, ahead of that historic return, the mutant has a new look which seemingly pays tribute to his X2 actor.
Nightcrawler’s Human Form Is Basically Alan Cumming
The Genius Tribute Honors Fan Excitement
In today’s The Last Wolverine #1 – from Saladin Ahmed, Edgar Salazar, Carlos Lopez and Cory Petit – it’s revealed that (following the X-Men franchise’s ten-year time jump), Nightcrawler has lost his blue fur. When he opens the door to new Wolverine, Leonard, fans are greeted with a human visage similar in appearance to actor Alan Cumming.
Nightcrawler reveals that his new look is thanks to Revelation, who used his powers to transform Kurt Wagner on the cellular level. Nightcrawler has since retired from the superhero game, raising a family with wife MacKenzie. In an in-joke for fans, it’s implied the two have a lot of children, but only the youngest is home when Wolverine comes calling – Freida Wagner.
During X-Men‘s Krakoan era, Nightcrawler encouraged mutant breeding to increase the species’ numbers, successfully campaigning for ‘Make More Mutants’ to become the third (and last) law that defined the mutant nation. It’s likely his many children are a reference to Kurt’s reputation as an enthusiastic procreator.
Does This Mean Alan Cumming Won’t Wear Make-Up in the MCU?
With Marvel introducing a ‘human’ look for Nightcrawler, fans could be forgiven for thinking that this is the version that might appear in the MCU. After all, Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique retained her human form more and more as the actress’ fame and influence grew, meaning she didn’t need to be subjected to the gruelling make-up process.
Thankfully, there’s no sign the same is true of Alan Cumming. Recent on-set photos suggest that the MCU is planning to use Nightcrawler’s comic design (and maybe even costume), and it would be a waste to bring an actor back after 20 years only to radically change his famous depiction of a character. By all evidence, MCU fans can rest easy that they’ll be getting the true, blue Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler’s Redesign Subtly Foreshadows the Darkness of Revelation’s Nation
While Revelation is sincere in his desire to uplift mutants, he’s also a power-mad dictator who is controlling many former heroes (including Wolverine) with his reality-altering voice. Having transformed America into a mutant nation, Revelation demands that everything is as he wills it, and all the world’s mutants live under his ‘protection’ and obey his rules. It’s possible he transformed Nightcrawler according to Kurt’s wishes, but just as likely he removed the hero’s powers as a punishment.
Throughout X-Men history, Nightcrawler’s demonic appearance has made him a major target of bigotry and prejudice – most famously in the iconic ‘God Loves, Man Kills’ arc. It’s telling that in prior mutant paradises, the aim was to change society so that Nightcrawler was no longer treated poorly because of his mutation. However, in the Age of Revelation, it’s Nightcrawler who has had to change, foreshadowing how Revelation’s concept of ‘mutant supremacy’ has a malevolent undercurrent, with a ‘mutant utopia’ defined by a single person’s selfish vision of perfection.
Becoming human is something that Nightcrawler has always wished for – sometimes explicitly, and sometimes as a conflicted part of his mutant identity. Now, he has exactly what he wanted, but the result is that the X-Men have lost a hero when they need him the most.
The Last Wolverine #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.