Cumming’s comments about X-Men 2 drew interesting responses, including from author David Hayter, who shared his thoughts on the film’s deeper themes.
The popular 2003 film X-Men 2 returns to the spotlight. Actor Alan Cummings, best known for his role as Nightcrawler, recently described it as “the gayest movie I’ve ever made.”
A vision that opens doors
In a recent interview, Alan Cummings, who played Nightcrawler in “X2: X-Men United,” surprised many by calling the film “the gayest movie I’ve ever made.” According to Cummings, the fact that the film was directed by a queer director and cast helped people “understand the priesthood in an artistic way that made everyone less afraid of the concept.”
Filmmaker Bryan Singer has always intended to use the X-Men to emphasize extremes and what comes next. Now, David Hayter, the writer of “X2”, shared Cumming’s enthusiasm for the famous team.
“I was thrilled to hear that Alan Cumming called X2 the gayest movie he’s ever made,” Hayter told TMZ.
An exemplary work
Hayter was not the only one to recognize the queer subtext in the film. “Ian McKellen realized the allegory from a gay perspective,” says Hayter, “but our whole goal with the X-Men in general was to alienate anyone.” “Anyone who has faced hatred, stigma or judgment and still feels compelled to do the right thing.”
The author also stated that many key members of the creative team and actors were gay, which influenced the way these issues were resolved. He added: “Obviously that element was in our minds, and the fact that that was conveyed and that Alan felt it was meaningful meant a lot to me personally.”
In his time, Singer has been known to explore queerness through the lens of the X-Men in his Marvel films. However, if this were to happen today, it would probably be cited as an example of “awakening.” However, racism and discrimination are still a big part of the Mutants story, and Marvel Studios and Disney can’t ignore that.
LGBTQ+ representation at X2
Hayter also mentioned the special scene where Iceman shows his mutant powers to his mother as meant to address the LGBTQ+ community. “That line when Bobby’s mom says to Iceman, ‘Have you ever tried not to be a mutant?’
For Hayter, this line encapsulates the pain and difficulty of waiting to be someone you’re not. “You just can’t be someone you’re not, and having people want you to be someone you’re not is really painful and hard to deal with.”
The X-Men have always been metaphors for any marginalized group, and “X2: X-Men United” is no different. The film not only deals with queerness but also with all forms of stigma and hatred. The story of Mutants is still relevant today, and it’s important that future productions continue to explore these themes with the same passion and depth.
X2 and its inclusive legacy
X2’s legacy continues to be not only as an exciting superhero film, but also as a bold work that tackles deep-seated themes of prejudice and acceptance. The film, produced by a queer director and featuring a queer cast, is a testament to the power of cinema to educate and raise awareness about queer and other issues of exclusion.
In conclusion, David Hayter’s response to Alan Cumming’s statements underlines the importance of recognizing and respecting diversity in all its forms, both in film and in society at large.