X-Men: Famke Janssen pushes for return of 'older' Jean Grey

The original mutant says she has received 'radio silence' after pitching producers on her return

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Photo: Nels Israelson

Younger versions of several X-Men characters have appeared onscreen since X-Men: First Class was released in 2011, and a new crop of fresh-faced heroes will join the mix with the release of X-Men: Apocalypse on May 27. One of those is a 1980s version of Jean Grey, played by Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner.

But has the woman who originally brought Jean to life had a chance to connect with the person now portraying her? We asked Famke Janssen that when she stopped by Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105). “She emailed me before she started filming wanting some pointers,” says Janssen of Turner. “And I said, ‘You don’t need any. You’re perfect. You’re great.’ So I can’t wait to see the movie and what she’s done with it.”

But does Janssen think it will be weird watching someone play a younger version of her character? While she did not seem too concerned about that, the actress did point out a big difference in the way male and female mutants have been treated when it comes to past and future versions.

“I’m actually really excited about it,” she says of watching a young Jean Grey. “And its not the first time obviously that it’s happened. In the X-Men series, they’ve been doing this for years. Although women, it’s interesting because they’re replaced, and the older versions — or more mature, whatever the politically correct version of that is — are never to be seen again. Whereas the men are allowed to be both ages. Sexism. I think that I should be back along with my younger version and the way that we’ve seen it with Magneto and Professor X.”

It’s actually an interesting point. If we saw Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in X-Men: Days of Future Past, along with their younger counterparts, why should the door be shut for Janssen to return as Jean Grey? So has the actress pitched this idea to producers? “Yes, I have. I have not heard any feedback on that, other than total radio silence.”

Well, that’s nothing a little mind control can’t fix…

To hear Janssen’s thoughts on the difference between male and female mutants and why she hopes to return to X-Men someday, listen above.

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