Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels star Jason Flemyng has confirmed that he has landed a role in upcoming superhero prequel X-Men: First Class.

The 41-year-old actor revealed that he was awarded the part of teleporting creature Azazel by the film's director Matthew Vaughn, having appeared in all of his previous movies, including recent box office hits Kick-Ass and Stardust.

Flemyng revealed to Empire: "Matthew showed me my costume just the other day. Now I swore I’d never be in heavy make-up again, but this role is going to involve it. But at least they said, 'Don’t worry, we’ll add the tail in post production'."

He added that he would be red-skinned, as in the X-Men comics.

Nightcrawler, a blue-skinned, demon-tailed teleporter played by Alan Cumming in X-Men 2, is the child of Azazel and the blue-skinned shapeshifter Mystique.

With Jennifer Lawrence already announced as Mystique, it seems we will be seeing the origins of Nightcrawler too.

In the comics, Azazel was part of an exploration of Nightcrawler's past in The Draco six-issue storyline. He was leader of an ancient race of mutants who looked like demons and who were banished to another dimension.

Azazel was able to teleport to Earth for brief periods, impregnating women to try to create a link with this world that would enable him to return permanently.

As well as Nightcrawler, he fathered the mutants Abyss and Kiwi Black with other women.

Other confirmed cast members for X Men: First Class include James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult and Kevin Bacon. The long-awaited film is due to be released in June 2011.

Source: Press Release