Famke Janssen says Marvel has never invited her back to play Jean Grey.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the “X-Men” star discussed her Fox-era Marvel role, or rather, discussed how she is constantly asked to discuss it. She explained that “every time” she does an interview, Jean Grey is brought up.
“It’s interesting,” Janssen said. “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.”
Janssen first appeared as Jean Grey, aka Phoenix, in 2000’s “X-Men,” and then reprised the role in 2003’s “X2: X-Men United” and 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand.” She also briefly appeared in the role in 2013’s “The Wolverine” and 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
“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 [is it] ‘Doomsday?’ … it’ll come up again.”
An “X-Men” reboot from the Marvel camp is currently in development with “Thunderbolts*” director Jake Schreier at the helm. In an interview with The Playlist, Schreier said that the new “X-Men” film will be “recognizably different from what came before.”
“But to be able to explore all of the ideas that are inherent to that rich source material, but also at the scale inherent to the source material, that’s like a very rare and fortunate opportunity,” he continued. “That’s very exciting.”