‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’: Jason Flemyng Not Returning As Azazel

Jason Flemyng is officially not returning as Azazel for X-Men: Days of Future Past.

While it was already generally believed that Flemyng wouldn’t be returning for the sequel, confirmation came from the British actor himself.

“Initially I was gutted, but then I remembered I had to get up at two in the morning, I had to be painted red and be slightly out of focus and posed a lot, and that was sort of it,” Flemyng told the Irish Independent. “Now I don’t have to do that.”

The 46-year-old added, “I’ve had twins so I’m quite glad to stay at home. It’s filmed in Canada and it takes about seven months so I’m quite glad to be at home.”

In X-Men: First Class, Azazel is a member of the Hellfire Club (known as the Inner Circle in X-Men: The Animated Series), which consists of Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), Emma Frost (January Jones), and Riptide (Álex González). He is still alive at the end of the film and leaves with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Angel (Zoe Kravitz) and Riptide, so exactly why he isn’t returning is unclear at the moment.

While Flemyng won’t be back for the sequel, many of the film’s original stars will be reprising their roles in Days of Future Past. It was recently announced that Daniel Cudmore would be returning as Colossus. He had a brief cameo in X2 and a slightly longer appearance in The Last Stand, but Colossus occupies an important role in the comic book storyline.

In addition to Cudmore, Fassbender, and Lawrence, James McAvoy, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Shawn Ashmore and Ian McKellan will all be reprising their roles.

Newcomer Peter Dinklage was cast as an unnamed villain, and Fan Bingbing (Battle of the Warriors) and Nils “Booboo” Stewart (The Twilight Saga) have been cast Blink and an unknown mutant respectively.

Are you disappointed that Jason Flemyng won’t be returning as Azazel?