Avengers: Doomsday star says there were "secret names" in the script to hide surprising returns: "It was so confusing"

Alan Cumming, best known in the comic book movie world as X-Men's Nightcrawler, has revealed the lengths Avengers: Doomsday went to in order to keep surprise returns from leaking.

"This film is like superhero soup. There's so many of them in it, I just can't keep up," Cumming told Deadline of the sheer number of actors on the call sheet for the fifth Avengers movie.

"They're really hard to read, the scripts for superhero films… everyone's got two names. Sometimes there were secret names in it because they didn't want to let out that a certain character was coming back. They called them somebody else in the script. It was so confusing."

Latest Videos From

Despite that, Cumming revealed he's not in Avengers: Doomsday very much, though he previously suggested his character would be in a fight scene with Pedro Pascal's Mr. Fantastic.

So, any guesses for the unannounced superheroes who could be popping up in Doomsday? Tom Holland's Spider-Man is perhaps the most noticeable absentee from last March's cast reveal live stream, while Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel have also been left out for the time being.

Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch confused everyone last year by saying he would return in Avengers: Doomsday before swiftly walking that back, instead admitting he would be part of Avengers: Secret Wars instead. Oops.

Whatever happens – and whoever is there – Doomsday is set to be a crossover of epic proportions, led by Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. A trailer was shown at CinemaCon showcasing Thor fighting the villain, but we're still (im)patiently waiting for a public release.

Avengers: Doomsday opens in cinemas on December 18.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies on the way very soon, plus our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.