Famke Janssen, best known for her role as Jean Grey in 20th Century Fox’s original X-Men film trilogy, has revealed that Marvel has never invited her back to reprise her role in the MCU.
This comes via a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, where the 60-year-old discussed her role in the Fox-era X-Men films, and how it’s always been brought up during interviews, adding that despite this, she has never been asked to return as Jean Grey or Dark Phoenix.
“Every time I do an interview, it’s mentioned,” she explained, “It’s interesting. I didn’t realise that was such a big part. Every interview I do, that will come up, and of everything I say, that is going to be the only thing that’s gonna be printed.”
“I should be flattered, I suppose, that this character has resonated with people,” she added. “It’s been so long, but it’s nice that people are still talking about her. I’m sure every single time there’s a new movie that they’re doing, like Doomsday?… it’ll come up again.”
Most importantly, when asked if Marvel has ever asked her to reprise the role after that Fox era of movies, Janssen simply replied, “Never. Never ever.”
Janssen first appeared as Jean Grey in 2000’s X-Men, and would go on to reprise that role in its two sequels, 2003’s X2: X-Men United and 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand (as Dark Phoenix), additionally also appearing briefly as a cameo in the 2013 prequel, The Wolverine, as well as 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.
It’s no wonder that Janssen is now synonymous with the role, although this hasn’t stopped her from being left out of Marvel’s upcoming projects, Avengers: Doomsday and the upcoming MCU X-Men reboot, even as the former is set to feature a reunion of some of her co-stars such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer as Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Beast, respectively.
As for the latter, hopes aren’t high for her return either, as the upcoming X-Men reboot’s director, Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*), stated in an interview that it would be “recognizably different from what came before”.
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