With so many rumors of X-Men characters making their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, could Kodi Smit-McPhee's Nightcrawler be returning? Previously, Smit-McPhee played Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse along with its 2019 sequel Dark Phoenix. As of now, there are no official plans for Nightcrawler to make another appearance in a future Marvel movie or series, at least not that's been announced to the public.
The upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has thrown some more gasoline on the fire by strongly implying Patrick Stewart's Professor X will be involved. This follows months of other rumors about X-Men characters coming into the film, including a rumored showdown between Jean Gray and Scarlet Witch. It's enough to have fans wondering about the others, and in a new interview with Variety, Smit-McPhee revealed he tried to find out from Benedict Cumberbatch if there were plans for the X-Men in the film.
"I had this conversation with Benedict [Cumberbatch] on the set [of The Power of the Dog]. When he was film method acting as well. I was like, 'Listen, I know you're the dude in the boots right now with the rope, but you need to tell me. Am I in the contract moving forward? And that guy doesn't let out a secret. I was actually slightly insulted. He doesn't let out a secret. He's really protective of that stuff."
This clearly implies that, no, Smit-McPhee is not in Doctor Strange 2. Even so, the actor says he was thrilled to hear Patrick Stewart's voice and seems excited about what that might mean for the future, which could potentially include the return of Nightcrawler.
"I can obviously transparently tell you I have nothing to do with [Doctor Strange 2]. In that trailer, I was equally as excited as everyone else to hear Patrick Stewart's voice. That's insane. I'm hoping that the people that show up in that is just as exciting as No Way Home."
Kodi Smit-McPhee Is Passing on Other Superhero Projects, Holding Out for the MCU
Although Kodi Smit-McPhee is not a part of the MCU just yet, he's so hopeful to make it happen that he's been avoiding other superhero franchises. The concern is that if he associates himself too closely with another character outside of the MCU, it would hurt his chances of becoming part of it himself, whether it's as a returning Nightcrawler or even another character. The actor is just such a fan of all things MCU that he's keeping his fingers crossed and availability open.
"I would love that, personally, if I can just say that transparently. I would absolutely love that. I just really am a believer of the MCU. I've made it a thing to kind of hold off from going into any other production company doing superhero stuff, because I just believe in MCU so much, and I hope to be a part of that family one day. We all know that they earned the rights to Nightcrawler and stuff now, so... wink wink, nudge nudge."
For now, you can catch Smit-McPhee alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the Oscar-nominated film The Power of the Dog streaming on Netflix. As for what happens next in the MCU, we'll find out when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is released on May 4, 2022.