Very surreal: Rebecca Romijn on returning as Mystique in ''Avengers: Doomsday''

New Delhi: Hollywood star Rebecca Romijn says she was surprised to receive a call to be part of the superhero ensemble film "Avengers: Doomsday" and reprise the fan-favourite role of mutant Mystique from the "X-Men" movies.

Romijn, who stars in the third season of her popular show "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" currently streaming on JioHotstar, said she is in the midst of filming for the much-awaited project and the whole experience has been "wonderful" so far.

"Very surreal. It was a call that was very unexpected for me and very thrilling. We're currently shooting and filming now and it's been wonderful so far," Romijn told PTI in an interview.

The 52-year-old actor originated the role of Mystique in the "X-Men" trilogy in the 2000s, portraying the shape-shifting mutant with a mix of cunningness and menace.

Romijn first played the part in 2000's "X-Men", followed by "X2" (2003), and "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006). She also made a brief cameo in "X-Men: First Class", in which Jennifer Lawrence took over the character from her.

In "Doomsday", she is returning along with a host of legacy "X-Men" characters -- Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier aka Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy aka Beast, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and James Marsden as Scott Summers aka Cyclops.

The movie, which will mark the return of "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) but in the avatar of supervillain Victor Von Doom aka Doctor Doom, will come out in theatres in December 2027.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" features Romijn as Commander Una Chin-Riley, also known as Number One, the highly capable first officer aboard the USS Enterprise, serving under Captain Christopher Pike, played by actor Anson Mount.

As a mother, Romijn said she consciously picks roles that serve as positive role models for her daughters and young girls watching globally.

"I am a mother of girls and so it's very important to choose roles that are positive role models for my daughters and for other young ladies around the world. And I take it into consideration. I don't take it lightly, especially when I'm leaving my daughters to go away on location and have to be away from them for long periods of time."

The actor, also known for films like "The Punisher", "Femme Fatale" and "Man About Town", said she aims to take on work she can be proud of, especially character she’ll feel good about sharing with her children.

"I want to be proud of the work that I get to come back and show them... especially within the 'Star Trek' and genres of science fiction and comic book... I really enjoy playing female characters that are multifaceted and often just as strong as the male characters. It's important to me," she said.

Romijn said both Una and Mystique are "mutants to a certain extent" but they deal with their identities in very different ways.

"There are a lot of similarities between playing the mutant Mystique and playing a genetically modified character on Star Trek. They're both mutants to a certain extent. With Mystique, the difference is that she chose to not hide who she actually is and Una chose to hide her mutation.

"But the big difference is that Una chose to hide it until she was forced to go to trial and get cleared for it. And Mystique has chosen to not hide it and let that drive her," she said, adding that Mystique is a "more dangerous character".

Christina Chong, Romijn's co-star, plays La’an Noonien-Singh in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and reflected on her character’s emotional and genetic legacy.

La’an is a descendant of Khan Noonien Singh, the infamous genetically enhanced villain from Star Trek lore. She carries not only augmented DNA, but also the heavy burden of a legacy — a name synonymous with fear, destruction, and historical trauma.

She teased that La'an will confront this legacy in the new season, especially in the upcoming episode "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans".

"She has recessive augmented DNA and so she does struggle with that. But for the most part of season three, she's allowing herself to let go a little more. She's fought her biggest enemy and won, and therefore she's opened up to a lighter side of herself and to potential love," she added.

Chong also said that playing La’an helped her explore deeper emotional truths about herself. In the show, the character comes across as guarded and has a fear of connection, a theme many people relate to.

"The fear aspect of connecting or finding love. The fear of losing it and therefore holding back. Although I don't hold back in my personal life, the fear is very real there. The abandonment issue that we all have in some way. Although I don't stop myself, there is a hurdle to jump over," she said.

The third season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" also stars Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Martin Quinn, and Babs Olusanmokun.