Famke Janssen Calls It 'A Mistake' That Marvel Didn't Bring Her Back for Avengers: Doomsday

Famke Janssen is speaking out about her absence from Marvel's highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, characterizing the studio's decision as a missed opportunity.

The 61-year-old actress, who brought Jean Grey/Phoenix to life in Fox's original X-Men franchise during the early 2000s and made cameo appearances in 2013's The Wolverine and 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, has repeatedly confirmed she's not part of the upcoming film—despite occasional speculation to the contrary.

During a panel at SpaceCon 2026's Nerdtropolis event, Janssen addressed the topic head-on. "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 explained. "I think they made a mistake, but hey, who am I? I'm just a little me who thinks that."

The Taken star expressed regret about not having the chance to further develop the character. "I wished I had been able to explore more of that because it was such a—she's iconic and she's so powerful and interesting," Janssen reflected. "If I had an opportunity, I would show you some really amazing Phoenix."

However, the film will feature a substantial roster of X-Men alumni returning to their iconic roles. Ian McKellen is set to reprise Magneto, Patrick Stewart returns as Charles Xavier, Rebecca Romijn plays Mystique, James Marsden is back as Cyclops, Kelsey Grammer portrays Beast, and Alan Cumming will return as Nightcrawler.

In November of last year, Janssen disclosed that Marvel had never extended an invitation for her to return to the franchise in any capacity.