Actor Alan Cumming to host BAFTA Awards 2026

LONDON: Actor and director Alan Cumming is set to host the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2026, reported Deadline. ‘The Traitors’ presenter will preside over the British awards ceremony, which takes place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 22, 2026

Cumming, who won an Olivier award for his performance in ‘Cabaret’, is being welcomed back into the BAFTA fold after hosting the organisation’s TV awards last year. ‘The Good Wife’ star replaces fellow Scottish actor David Tennant, who has hosted the BAFTA Film Awards for the past two years, reported Deadline.

Cumming said he was looking forward to bringing some ‘mischief’ to the event. Emma Baehr, BAFTA’s executive director of awards and content, hailed his “sharp wit, warmth and vibrant energy.” According to the outlet, round one of voting for the Film Awards opened on December 5. Longlists will be unveiled on January 9, with nominations to follow on January 27.

Unmasking your EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026 host…

We can’t wait to see the wonderful Alan Cumming in action on Sunday 22 February #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/0H3xDvsApV

— BAFTA (@BAFTA) December 18, 2025

Meanwhile, actor Alan Cumming will be reprising his role of Nightcrawler from X Men 2 in the upcoming Marvel film ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. Cumming played the comic book role in 2003’s X2: X-Men United and had not played it since.

The actor will also reunite in the new Avengers movie with his co-stars, including Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier / Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops).

Marvel Studios recently revealed the cast for its upcoming film ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, featuring a mix of familiar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) faces and newcomers from the ‘X-Men’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ franchises.

The star-studded cast includes Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), and Winston Duke (M’Baku), as per a social media post shared by Marvel Studios.

The cast also features actors from the upcoming ‘Thunderbolts’ film, including Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), and Wyatt Russell (US Agent).

Channing Tatum, who was previously attached to a ‘Gambit’ movie, will also appear in the film.’The Fantastic Four’ will also be represented in the film, with Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (The Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), and Joseph Quinn (The Human Torch) joining the cast.

Avengers: Doomsday’ is set to release on May 1, 2026, with a follow-up film, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ scheduled for May 7, 2027. (ANI)