Famke Janssen, 60, Confirms Marvel Never Contacted Her About Reprising Jean Grey Role

Famke Janssen seemed to put an end to speculations that she would return as Jean Grey. She even confirmed that Marvel hasn’t even contacted her about returning to the role. With “Avengers: Doomsday” shaping up to be a multiversal reunion party of epic proportions, you’d think anyone who played a significant role in the original “X-Men” films would be on speed dial.

Why Hasn’t Marvel Called Famke Janssen?

It seems one major player’s phone has been conspicuously silent.  Janssen, the original live-action Jean Grey, has confirmed that Marvel Studios hasn’t even bothered to send a “u up?” text. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, when the inevitable question about her return came up, Janssen was brutally honest. Has Marvel reached out? Her response on Entertainment Weekly was a blunt, “Never. Never ever.” You can almost feel the eye-roll through the screen.

It’s a bizarre omission, considering the parade of familiar faces already confirmed for the next big Avengers bash. We’re getting Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, and even Kelsey Grammer’s Beast is making a comeback. Heck, Hugh Jackman returned as Wolverine in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” But the woman who brought one of the most powerful and iconic mutants to life for over a decade? Apparently, she’s not on the guest list.

Let’s be real: leaving Famke Janssen out of the multiversal shenanigans feels like a massive misstep. The original X-Men trilogy, for all its leather-clad quirks, laid the groundwork for the superhero movie boom we’re still living in. Janssen’s portrayal of Jean Grey was central to that, navigating the character’s journey from a compassionate telepath to the terrifyingly powerful Dark Phoenix. She was the heart and the horror of that original series.

Janssen herself seems bemused and resigned about the whole thing. The question of her return haunts her like, well, a Phoenix Force that just won’t die. “Every time I do an interview, it’s mentioned,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s interesting. I didn’t realize 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.” You can’t help but feel for her. The one role she can’t escape is the one she isn’t being invited back to play.

Is There Still Hope for a Jean Grey Comeback?

So, what gives? Is Marvel playing some 4D chess move, keeping her return under wraps for a jaw-dropping reveal? Or have they simply moved on, content with Sophie Turner’s younger version of the character or perhaps looking to reboot the X-Men entirely? Given Marvel’s current strategy of weaponizing nostalgia to get fans back into theaters, ignoring Janssen seems like a strange oversight.

Janssen acknowledges the lasting impact of her character with a hint of sarcasm and grace. People reported her saying, “I should be 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,” Janssen added. “I’m sure every single time there’s a new movie that they’re doing, like [is it] Doomsday? … it’ll come up again.”

It’s more than nice; it’s a testament to her performance that fans are still clamoring for her return nearly a decade after her last cameo in 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” With “Avengers: Doomsday” on the horizon, the door for cameos is wide open. We’ve seen Patrick Stewart’s Professor X get graphically un-alive in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, only to be confirmed for another go. If he can come back from that, surely there’s room for the original Jean Grey.

There’s a touch of resignation in those words, but also gratitude. Playing Jean Grey clearly left an impact on Janssen’s career, even if Marvel doesn’t seem interested in revisiting that particular chapter. And honestly? It’s their loss. Are they saving Jean Grey for a younger actress in a future X-Men reboot? Did scheduling conflicts get in the way? Or did someone at Marvel Studios simply forget that Janssen exists? (That last one seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened in Hollywood.)

Final Thoughts

Maybe Marvel is waiting for the perfect moment, or perhaps they just lost her number. Whatever the reason, leaving Famke Janssen out of the biggest X-Men reunion since… well, ever, feels like a story with a missing final chapter. Come on, Marvel, make the call. The fans—and probably Famke Janssen—are waiting.