Fans Aren’t Buying X-Men Star’s Avengers: Doomsday Denial — The MCU Has a Credibility Problem

Famke Janssen just did the thing every Marvel veteran eventually has to do: go on the record about whether they’re secretly in the next giant crossover. Short answer from her? No. Longer answer? People never believe that answer anymore.

What Famke actually said (and what she didn’t)

Janssen, who played Jean Grey/Phoenix in the original X-Men movies, told Variety she’s not suiting up as Jean again. She knows the internet will roll its eyes, but she put it plainly and then basically shrugged.

'And then when I say that, people don’t believe me. So I’m just gonna wait for the movie to come out and, you know, people can see for themselves.'

She also didn’t slam the door forever. If the right opportunity comes later, she’s open to playing Phoenix again. That’s the whole thing. No winking, no coy teases. Just: not happening now, maybe someday.

Why nobody buys denials anymore

This is the mess Marvel created by being very good at keeping secrets. After Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire swore up and down they weren’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home… and then were very much in Spider-Man: No Way Home… a lot of fans now treat every denial like a setup. Janssen’s comment is already being filed next to those, fair or not.

On top of that, there’s been a steady drumbeat of rumors about legacy X-Men faces popping up in the MCU’s next mega-movie, allegedly titled Avengers: Doomsday. So when one of the franchise’s OGs says 'nope,' people assume it’s part of the game.

The rumor fog around 'Avengers: Doomsday'

There’s a lot of chatter, some of it contradictory. The broad strokes floating around right now look like this (none of this is officially confirmed):

• Project: 'Avengers: Doomsday' has been widely rumored as the next massive team-up.
• Legacy cameos: Former X-Men stars are said to be appearing, which kicked off speculation about others (like Janssen) who haven’t been announced.
• Spider-Man watch: Separate buzz claims Tom Holland could pop up in Doomsday without an announcement.
• Creative team: The Russo Brothers have been repeatedly rumored as directors.
• Cast in the mix: Names tossed around include Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, and Anthony Mackie.
• Release date: December 18, 2026 has been circulated as a target.
• Wild card rumor: Some corners of the internet even suggest RDJ returning as Doctor Doom, which is the sort of thing designed to melt servers whether it’s true or not.

Marvel’s secrecy problem (and a few fixes)

Secrecy used to be a strength. Now it’s almost a sport for fans to reverse-engineer who’s lying in interviews. Janssen’s situation is a perfect example: even a clear 'I’m not in it' reads like misdirection to a lot of people.

How to cool things down a bit?

- Let the cast confirm involvement without spoiling roles. Admit someone is in the movie, but set expectations if they’re playing a small or alternate character.

- Hide stars in plain sight. Put A-listers in meaningful supporting roles that aren’t hero-or-villain shaped (politicians, scientists, etc.) so their presence doesn’t automatically scream secret cameo.

- Ease up on nostalgia stunts. If every big part goes to a legacy face, the speculation machine never stops. Mix in more up-and-comers in headline roles to lower the temperature.

So… is Famke telling the truth?

Could be! She said it straight, and she has nothing to gain by poking the hive if she’s not in the movie. Or she could be doing the legally-binding Marvel tap dance and we’ll all find out later. Either way, her 'we’ll see when the movie comes out' is probably the only sane place to land right now.

If you want to revisit the last time denials didn’t stick, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is streaming on Disney+ in the US.