Famke Janssen says Marvel not asking her back for Avengers: Doomsday was “a mistake,” while she remains firm that she is not in the film. The 61-year-old, who played Jean Grey/Phoenix in Fox’s X-Men era, points to what she’d love to explore with her iconic cha
Famke Janssen didn’t mince words when the talk turned to Avengers: Doomsday—especially the part where her name didn’t end up on the call sheet.
The 61-year-old actress, best known for playing Jean Grey—aka Phoenix—in Fox’s original live-action X-Men movies in the early 2000s, has kept insisting she’s not in the Marvel movie. That message has only sharpened as the question of her potential return keeps resurfacing.
Speaking at Nerdtropolis at SpaceCon 2026. when the topic came up again. Janssen said she believes Marvel “made a mistake” by not asking her back. “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,” she said. “I think they made a mistake, but hey, who am I?. I’m just a little me who thinks that.”.
She didn’t just talk about what’s possible—she also pointed to what she wishes she had gotten to do on screen. Janssen said she wished she “had been able to explore more of that because it was such a-she’s iconic and she’s so powerful and interesting.”
As for what she would show viewers if she got the chance, she added, “If I had an opportunity, I would show you some really amazing Phoenix.”
Janssen’s Phoenix story on film stretches beyond the early X-Men run. She also made brief appearances in The Wolverine (2013) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). before returning to the franchise in headlines mostly as a fan-favorite question—one she’s repeatedly answered by staying clear-eyed about whether she’ll appear in Avengers: Doomsday.
At the same time, the movie is set to bring back several major X-Men faces. Avengers: Doomsday will feature Ian McKellen as Magneto, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, James Marsden as Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer as Beast, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler.
The contrast is what lingers. Janssen has maintained her position that she isn’t part of the film, even as interest in her potential return—and the reach of her character—keeps growing. Last November, she said Marvel had “never ever” asked her to return as Jean Grey in the Marvel Universe.
For Janssen, it’s not just about being included. It’s about the character she helped define. And at SpaceCon, even as she laughed about how easily her reactions would give things away, she still came back to the same point: she thinks Marvel missed an opportunity with Phoenix.
Famke Janssen Avengers: Doomsday Marvel X-Men Jean Grey Phoenix Nerdtropolis SpaceCon 2026 Ian McKellen Patrick Stewart Rebecca Romijn James Marsden Kelsey Grammer Alan Cumming Magneto Charles Xavier Mystique Cyclops Beast Nightcrawler