The actress who played the original Jean Grey criticizes 'X-Men' producers for casting her aside due to her age, 'They give up on me.'
- Oct 22, 2017
AceShowbiz - Famke Janssen called out "X-Men" producers. When asked by Us Weekly about her departure from the superhero movie franchise, the actress who played the original Jean Grey said, "I didn't give up, they gave up on me. There's a big difference."
She cited ageism and sexism as the reasons of her exit, "It was their [producers'] decision, you know? It's like what happens in life. You get, well not to me thankfully. But people, just like men trade women in for a younger model version. It's like that."
While she was excited for Sophie Turner who was cast as a young Jean Grey, Janssen wondered why the old Grey couldn't exist alongside the younger one just like they did with Margneto (Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy).
"In the 'X-Men' series, they've been doing this for years," she said in a 2016 interview. "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."
Sophie Turner started joining "X-Men" franchise in 2016 with "X-Men: Apocalypse". Her character is expected to have a bigger role and cross to dark side in the next installment "X-Men: Dark Phoenix". Jennifer Lawrence is back as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and Olivia Munn as Psylocke.
Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film is set to hit theaters across the United States on November 2. Jessica Chastain is signed on for a rumored villanious role.
