Famke Janssen confirms that Marvel has never called her to revive Jean Grey

An actress Famke Janssen confirmed that Marvel "Never. Never ever" (Never. Never ever) approached her to reprise her role as Jean Grey since the end of the Fox X-Men movies. The actress's confession is a critical point for fans, as several veterans of the Fox franchise are confirmed in Avengers: Doomsday, raising the question of why Janssen has been ignored until now.

Famke Janssen played Jean Grey from X-Men (2000) to a special appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Her character died as the Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and the role was later taken over by Sophie Turner.

Despite the death of their characters on the screens, several actors from the Fox X-Men franchise are cast in Avengers: Doomsday, set to be released on May 1, 2026:

James Marsden (Cyclops)

Kelsey Grammer (Beast), who already made his MCU debut in the post-credits scene of The Marvels

Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier/Professor X), who briefly appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Ian McKellen (Magneto)

Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler)

Rebecca Romijn (Mystique)

The great interest in the return of the classic cast even led Elizabeth Olsen to say she would "jump at" the opportunity to return as the Scarlet Witch, despite the death of her character in 2022. However, neither Olsen nor Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman (Janssen's co-star in the Fox movies) are among the confirmed for Doomsday.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Janssen said she felt "flattered" by the enduring interest in the character:

"I should feel flattered, I suppose, that this character has resonated with people. It's been so long, but it's nice that people are still talking about her. I'm sure every time there's a new movie they're making, like [is] Doomsday? ... that will come up again."

The director Joe Russo (one of the Russo brothers) commented on the approach of the next crossover, which he and Anthony Russo see as a "fresh start" for Phase 7 of the MCU. The focus of the plot will be on more complex villains: "The only thing I'll say about the movie is this: we love villains who think they're the heroes of their own stories. That's when they become three-dimensional and more interesting. When you have an actor like Robert Downey, you have to create a three-dimensional, well-rounded character for the audience. That's where much of our focus lies." Actor Robert Downey Jr. will return as Doctor Doom, and Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Doctor Strange in Secret Wars, arriving in May 2027.

Despite the absence of Famke Janssen, Avengers: Doomsday remains a highly anticipated film for the MCU.