Overview
- Over the weekend Famke Janssen told reporters at SpaceCon that Disney/Marvel never contacted her and that she is not appearing in Avengers: Doomsday, calling the omission “a mistake.”
- Marvel has formally confirmed several original X‑Men actors for the film, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn, which has increased attention on Janssen’s absence.
- Comic writer Chris Claremont earlier said the production was bringing back the original cast and named Janssen, a claim that Janssen and studio materials have not corroborated.
- Fans and commentators have flagged the gender imbalance among returning X‑Men actors and questioned creative or logistical reasons for selective legacy casting, such as variant timelines or a younger Jean Grey elsewhere in the MCU.
- Promotional activity and banner rollouts for Avengers: Doomsday are accelerating ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, leaving open the possibility of further casting updates before the film’s December 18, 2026 release.