Alan Cumming Describes X-Men Sequel “X2” as an Allegory for Queerness: “It’s The Gayest Film That I’ve Ever Done”

The 2003 film ‘X2’ garnered high praise upon its release for its acting, action sequences, and storyline. Critics lauded its tightly crafted script, strong performances, and ambitious scope. Empire hailed it as the pinnacle of comic book movies at the time, and Wizard ranked its ending among the most memorable cliffhangers in cinema history.

The film was notable for its themes of inclusivity, resonating with outcasts, teens, gays, and minorities. Alan Cumming echoed this sentiment, describing the movie as “one of the gayest” he has ever been a part of.

Cumming recently promoted an upcoming reality competition titled ‘The Traitor,’ where he takes on the role of host. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he confirmed suspicions that fans have harbored for some time.

[It’s] the gayest film that I’ve ever done. ‘It’s got a queer director, lots of queer actors in it. I love the fact that something so mainstream and so in the comic book world is so queer.

He continued to characterize the entire movie as an allegory for queerness:

I think, in a way, those sorts of films really help people understand queerness, because you can address it in an artistic way, and everyone is less scared of the concept.It’s an allegory about queerness, about people having these great gifts and really great, powerful things that they have to hide to exist. Queer people understand what that’s all about.

Cumming, who portrays Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in the movie, has been openly “out” since 1998, publicly coming out as bisexual at the age of 33. He shared that he chose to address it publicly due to widespread speculation at the time. Cumming came out during a period when it was considerably more risky and could have potentially jeopardized his career. Recently, Matt Bomer suggested that being outed as a gay man played a role in losing his Superman role in a canceled movie, highlighting the changing times.

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