Famke Janssen Reacts To X-Men Costars Joining The MCU For Avengers: Doomsday

Several original X-Men stars are set to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2026 through Avengers: Doomsday. While Phases 4-5 have already honored Marvel franchises outside the MCU timeline, 2026 will be the biggest crossover yet between the Fox-Marvel era and Marvel Studios.

With the franchise owning the X-Men rights, the 2026 entry will bring back multiple actors from the 2000s films. The Avengers: Doomsday cast finished principal photography on September 19, 2025, with Joe and Anthony Russo set to direct the follow-up installment, Avengers: Secret Wars.

ScreenRant’s Grant Hermanns spoke with Famke Janssen for her new Netflix series, Amsterdam Empire, as she reacted to her former co-stars reprising their respective characters in Avengers: Doomsday. After playing Jean Grey in the original X-Men trilogy, she gave the following response about seeing the MCU honor her franchise:

Yeah, to be honest with you, I don’t really know the storyline, so I’m not sure. It’s not my world, it’s never been my world, really, that whole comic book world. I should know by now, I’ve been in it long enough. But I’m really excited to see when it comes out. Just like everyone else, I’ll find out what those storylines are and how it all ended up.

Janssen shared how “those were great films to be part of, and they’ve done so many good things for my career.” She also followed up by stating, “It’s just amazing that over all these years, I’ve had these franchises, like the X-Men, or Taken for three films, or the Netflix series, Hemlock Grove, for three seasons, or Amsterdam Empire and a Bond film.”

The Marvel alum shared, “It’s [amazing] being part of these, but then having the variety constantly works best for me. I’m really not good at repeating anything.” At the time of writing, she has so far not been added to the big team-up movie in The Multiverse Saga.

The Dutch actress last played the role in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, with the comic book storyline resetting the franchise’s timeline and undoing her death in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. Her younger counterpart was played by Sophie Turner in the prequel films, starting with X-Men: Apocalypse.

On March 26, 2025, a surprise live-stream announced that Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn will reprise their roles, as Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, and Mystique, respectively. Alan Cumming, who played Nightcrawler in 2003’s X2, was one of the names unveiled during the event, along with Deadpool & Wolverine’s Channing Tatum as Gambit.

On April 3, 2025, at CinemaCon, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that there are still multiple casting announcements left to be made for the Phase 6 ensemble, including secret cameos. Avengers: Doomsday is now in post-production and slated to open in theaters on December 18, 2026.