
The X-Men are about to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Avengers: Doomsday, but not all the original actors will be back. While the comic book versions of the X-Men have always been incredibly popular, the movies haven’t always lived up to expectations. Now, Marvel is bringing them into the MCU, and several stars from the previous X-Men films – including Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, James Marsden as Cyclops, and Ian McKellen as Magneto – are confirmed to reprise their roles. However, one of the original cast members has indicated that a key character won’t be returning.
I recently read an interview with Famke Janssen in Entertainment Weekly, and she was pretty clear: Marvel hasn’t asked her to reprise her role as Jean Grey in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a little surprising, considering how key Jean Grey was in the original X-Men trilogy, especially now that we know other actors from those films – like Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer – are showing up in the MCU. While I initially felt like leaving her out was a missed opportunity, when you think about it, it actually kind of makes sense. It’ll be interesting to see how Doomsday handles the X-Men universe without her.
Famke Janssen Not Returning Might Actually Be A Good Sign

Jean Grey was a significant character in Fox’s X-Men films, though her story often took a backseat to those of Professor X and Magneto – a natural fit considering her immense power in the Marvel universe. Despite appearing prominently in two different timelines and having her famous Dark Phoenix storyline adapted, her absence from the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday might actually be a good thing, given how many other characters from the X-Men movies are already set to return.
Jean Grey’s transformation into the Dark Phoenix was a significant event in the X-Men films, and introducing her into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) could be complicated. To make it work, the upcoming ‘Doomsday’ event would either need to explain her origin as coming from a different universe, or retcon the events of her Dark Phoenix saga from the previous movies. Either option would take focus away from the already ambitious story ‘Doomsday’ is trying to tell within the MCU’s Multiverse narrative.
With rumors swirling that the upcoming Avengers film, potentially titled Doomsday, might adapt the Avengers vs X-Men storyline, the absence of Famke Janssen (who played Jean Grey) could actually be a good thing. Jean Grey is incredibly powerful, potentially overshadowing many existing Marvel heroes and giving the X-Men an unfair advantage. While fans of the character and the old Fox X-Men films will be disappointed, Janssen’s statements at least give us a clearer idea of what to expect from Avengers: Doomsday.
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2025-11-03 18:17