'Nightcrawler' Cumming out of 'X-Men 3'

LOS ANGELES, June 22 (UPI) -- Thespian Alan Cumming will reportedly not be reprising his role as Nightcrawler in upcoming sequel "X-Men 3."

Cumming's Web master said on the actor's site, "Alan will NOT be appearing in X3. Fox has not picked up his option to play Nightcrawler for a second movie," Zap2it.com reported Wednesday.

"X-Men 3," helmed by "After the Sunset" director Brett Ratner and written by Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn, is scheduled to go into production later this summer with most actors from the first two movies returning.

New characters featured in the third installment are reported to include "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Maggie Grace of ABC's "Lost" as Kitty Pride, and "Eurotrip" thespian Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut. The film is also expected to boost Halle Berry's role as Storm.