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Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday has promised a truly massive cast, bringing together core groups from across the MCU’s biggest corners The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, and the X-Men.
For longtime fans of the Fox X-Men era in particular, the appeal in the upcoming film lies in seeing so many familiar faces return after years away from the franchise. Nearly the entire original cast is set to return, with Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast.
Three of the franchise’s most iconic figures, Halle Berry’s Storm, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey, are notably absent from the announced returnees, however.
Berry last expressed her disappointment in being excluded in Doomsday in February, telling ScreenRant, “While I’m sad I won’t be in Doomsday this round, there are other rounds,” and that she would play the Mistress of the Elements “in a heartbeat” if given the opportunity.
Around the same time, while promoting Crime 101, Berry joked with us that co-star Chris Hemsworth might help change her involvement status with the project. When the idea of her absence from the new ensemble came up, Berry laughed and said “Chris is going to fix that,” with Hemsworth quickly playing along, agreeing “I”m going to fix that”
Like Berry, Hugh Jackman also faced questions about whether he’ll suit up again for the film. Speaking with Adam Lupis in May while promoting The Sheep Detectives, the actor played coy when asked about a potential Wolverine return, saying, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is it? Dooms-what? Who knows?”
More recently, Janssen adopted a more pointed tone when discussing the film at Spacecon 2026 with Nerdtropolis, saying, “I think they made a mistake, but hey, who am I? I’m just a little me who thinks that.” She also addressed the ongoing speculation around her involvement, insisting she is not part of the project and joking about how difficult she finds it to hide anything from fans. “I am so bad at keeping secrets that I always say to everyone, ‘I’m the worst actor in the world,’” she said. “It’s all on my face. You right away will read it.”
Janssen made her Jean Grey debut in the 2000’s X-Men, introducing audiences to the telepathic mutant also known as the Phoenix. She went on to reprise the role in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, continuing the character’s arc across the original trilogy. Later, she returned for brief appearances in The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Although Janssen has previously expressed interest in stepping back into the role, she revealed last November that she has “never ever” been contacted by Disney about returning as Jean Grey for any upcoming MCU projects. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she noted how often the topic comes up in interviews, saying, “Every time I do an interview, it’s mentioned.”
Janssen added that she understands why fans continue to bring the return even years later, though. “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.” It’s no wonder too seeing how much of a crucial role Jean Grey plays in any X-Men story, movie, or otherwise.
That being said, it seems there might be a reason for why Janssen’s version of the character may be left behind in particular. Some fans have speculated that Sadie Sink will take up the Phoenix mantle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, seeing as her mysterious character has been described as a dangerous mind-controller.
That theory becomes even more plausible when considering Marvel’s new MCU plans for the mutant franchise. With Jake Schreier now set to direct the upcoming X-Men reboot, the studio appears to be looking toward the future with a younger cast in mind rather than simply extending the Fox-era cast’s stay indefinitely.
Of course, much of this remains speculation. Marvel has only revealed what they want to reveal of Doomsday’s sprawling cast, and there are surely surprises no one could expect yet to come.
Whether Janssen’s comments truly signal the end of her time as Jean Grey, whether Sadie Sink is playing the MCU’s version of the character, and how Marvel ultimately plans to introduce its new generation of X-Men are questions that likely won’t be answered until Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026.
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