Famke Janssen, the actor behind Jean Grey/Phoenix in the original live-action X-Men films, is not in a hurry to return to the role for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In an interview with Brazilian entertainment site CinePOP, Janssen was asked if she would be up for playing Jean Grey again, now that stars of Fox's X-Men movies have begun to show up in Marvel Studios projects. "I love Jean Grey, and the Phoenix, very much. So much," Janssen responded, and was quick to follow up by referencing the actor who portrayed Jean in several films more recent than her own: "We all know that Sophie Turner's done an amazing job as stepping in as the younger version of [Jean]." Finally, she acknowledged the fluidity of the MCU that allows characters and actors to make unexpected returns. "Who knows? In that universe, anyone -- multiverses, whatever -- can happen. But I'm grateful that I got the opportunity to play her, five times in five different movies, so I'm good."
Janssen was part of the original cast of the first X-Men movie, which was released in 2000 and spawned a multiverse of its own at a time when the rights to adapt Marvel Comics characters to screen were split between multiple studios. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry and Anna Paquin also played mutant characters in X-Men which they would reprise over many sequels and spinoffs, in some cases building illustrious careers from their roles.
Hear Me, X-Men! I Am Phoenix!
Jean Grey is one of Uncanny X-Men's most cherished characters, a member of the first team in their debut comic in 1963. Initially codenamed Marvel Girl, she had the mutant abilities of mild telepathy and telekinesis, but was given a major boost when she became host to an interdimensional entity called the Phoenix. This force gave her extreme power but perpetually threatened to corrupt or kill her, which led to some of the comic's most memorable arcs.
Janssen's version of Jean followed the comics when she seemingly died in 2003's X2: X-Men United, then returned as a powerful but questionable ally in the third film in the series, X-Men: The Last Stand. Sophie Turner (now known as Sophie Jonas) took over the role of Jean in X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the latter film presenting another take on the Phoenix Saga.
Despite the separate cinematic universes in play, some actors from the X-Men series have already made appearances in the MCU, such as Stewart playing a version of Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Jackman is also reprising his long-running role of Wolverine for the upcoming Deadpool 3, which is planned to be set in the MCU.
Source: YouTube