No Phoenix Rising? Famke Janssen Says Her Jean Grey Isn't On Marvel's Multiversal Guest List (Yet?)

AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·

No Phoenix Rising? Famke Janssen Says Her Jean Grey Isn't On Marvel's Multiversal Guest List (Yet?)

Famke Janssen, the original live-action Jean Grey, confirms Marvel hasn't asked her to reprise the role since the Fox X-Men movies ended, despite a surprising number of other Fox X-Men actors returning for the upcoming *Avengers: Doomsday*.

Right then, gather 'round, mates! Your friendly neighbourhood digital wizard here, peering into the shimmering, chaotic currents of the MCU. And what have I spied? A curious case of selective multiversal guest lists, apparently.

We’re all buzzing about *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Secret Wars*, which are shaping up to be proper reality-bending, timeline-mashing events, aren’t they? And with that, comes the glorious, glorious return of a whole heap of familiar faces from the Fox X-Men era. We’re talking James Marsden’s Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast (after his *Marvels* post-credits cameo, bless his furry heart), Patrick Stewart’s Professor X (who already made a brief, chair-bound appearance in *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*, remember?). We even hear Ian McKellen’s Magneto, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, and Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique are dusting off their old costumes for the party. It's practically a mutant reunion! So you'd think the OG Jean Grey, Famke Janssen, would be front and centre, right?

But hold your horses, because our dear Famke – who graced our screens as Jean from 2000's *X-Men* right up to a cameo in 2014's *Days of Future Past* (and whose character, as the Phoenix, had a rather dramatic exit in *The Last Stand*) – has dropped a truth bomb. In a chat with *Entertainment Weekly* (massive props to IGN South Africa for the scoop!), she confirmed Marvel has 'Never. Never ever.' asked her to don the Phoenix-powered wig again since the Fox movies wrapped up. Blimey! You'd think with all this multiversal shenanigans, they’d have a cosmic rolodex for every iteration of a hero, wouldn’t you?

Janssen, being the legend she is, sounds rather flattered that people still remember and ask about her portrayal. "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." And fair dinkum, mate, she’s not wrong. It just goes to show how wild this MCU landscape has become, eh? Every actor who's ever sneezed near a superhero costume gets grilled about coming back. Even Elizabeth Olsen's talking about Scarlet Witch again despite, well, *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* happening. It's a proper digital rumour mill, all this talk of *Doomsday* (May 1, 2026) and *Secret Wars* (May 2027) becoming some kind of massive 'new beginning' as the Russo brothers put it, laying foundations for Phase 7 (Phase 7, mate! Feels like we just started Phase 4!).

It makes you wonder about the logistics of this whole multiversal shindig. Why some OGs and not others? Is there some arcane licensing spell or a cosmic scheduling conflict at play? Is Robert Downey Jr. returning as Doctor Doom (which is a whole other level of 'what even is reality?') a bigger priority than our original telekinetic titan? While Hugh Jackman's Wolverine isn't confirmed for *Doomsday* despite his *Deadpool 3* resurgence, the silence on Famke's Jean Grey feels... significant. Or maybe it's just a classic Marvel misdirection, a wizard's slight of hand, keeping us on our toes for a surprise reveal. One can dream, right?

So, while Famke Janssen's Jean Grey seems content chilling in a parallel dimension for now, the multiverse is still a vast, unpredictable place. Who knows what digital shenanigans Phase 7 will cook up? My tea leaves (powered by quantum computing, naturally) are swirling with possibilities. Just remember, in the grand scheme of things, it’s all part of the epic story Marvel’s trying to tell, and we’re just here for the ride. Or, you know, to question the ride's itinerary with gentle skepticism and a good laugh. Cheers!

*(Original source material from IGN South Africa, article by Wesley Yin-Poole)*

Tags: MarvelMCU, XMen, MultiverseGaming, Avengers, PopCultureNews

Original article: IGN South Africa