Famke Janssen says Marvel is wasting a golden opportunity by leaving her out of Avengers: Doomsday

The Marvel multiverse is getting properly crowded these days, and not everyone is feeling the love. We’ve got a bit of a situation with Famke Janssen, the actor who originally brought Jean Grey to life in the first X-Men films. When it comes to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, almost all the original mutant crew are coming back – except her. And she’s not thrilled about it.

Famke Janssen: Left Out (Apparently)

You might’ve heard the rumours that Famke Janssen’s playing hard to get with the whole 'I'm not in this film' thing. But according to her, it’s not a PR smokescreen. At Spacecon 2026, someone from Nerdtropolis asked her the sort of question most press junkets avoid: Are you any good at lying to keep Marvel secrets?

Her answer? Classic Famke: 'I am so bad at keeping secrets that I always say to everyone I’m the worst actor in the world. It’s all on my face. You right away will read it.' Then, deadpan as ever, she added: 'I think they made a mistake, but hey, who am I? I’m just a little me who thinks that.'

That’s a pretty blunt response, and if she’s bluffing, she deserves a BAFTA for it. Janssen, of course, has been the face of Jean Grey across the whole original trilogy – the first X-Men, X2: X-Men United, The Last Stand – plus popping up in The Wolverine and Days of Future Past. You’d think if you’re assembling the old gang, you’d want your Phoenix.

The Line-up: Who’s In, Who’s Out

Now, Avengers: Doomsday isn’t just padding out its cast for show. This thing is stuffed with returning X-Men legends as well as pretty much everyone who’s ever appeared in an MCU after-credits scene. Here’s the X-Men roll call making a comeback:

• Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
• Ian McKellen as Magneto
• James Marsden as Cyclops
• Kelsey Grammer as Beast
• Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
• Rebecca Romijn as Mystique

Spot the difference? Everyone’s favourite telepathic redhead is missing. Why? Official word says it’s just down to available room or story needs. The real reason? Your guess is as good as mine, but it feels off.

Chris Claremont’s Curveball

Just to throw an extra log on the rumour fire, legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont has openly said Janssen is coming back. On a podcast earlier this year, he said, 'The thing I find most wonderful about it is they’re bringing back the original cast, including Famke.' He didn’t mumble, either – he specifically singled her out.

Now, Claremont’s dropped a few tidbits before that ended up being legit, but sometimes he’s just as much in the dark as the rest of us. So unless they’ve got Jean Grey hiding in a post-credits scene, it’s best to take his comments with suitable scepticism.

The Avengers: Doomsday Roster

While we’re here, let’s have a look at just how bloated Doomsday’s cast list is, since that might explain a few absences:

You’ve got Chris Hemsworth returning as Thor, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, Letitia Wright (Shuri), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Wyatt Russell (John Walker), Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Lewis Pullman (Bob), Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Channing Tatum (Remy LeBeau – yes, you read that right), Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), and Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom. If you’re not winded after reading all that, you’re not paying attention.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit cinemas on 18 December.