Does an actor need to be familiar with a franchise in order to want to join it? Not according toMadelaine Petsch, who’s made it clear she wants to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe despite admitting she’s never seen a Marvel movie.
Petsch, who broke out with her performance as Cheryl Blossom on the hit television seriesRiverdale, currently stars as Maya Lucas in the newStrangerstrilogy, withThe Strangers: Chapter 1opening in 2024 andThe Strangers: Chapter 2opening on Sept. 26, 2025. She now has her sights on the MCU, specifically theX-Men.
Speaking withThe Directto promoteThe Strangers: Chapter 2, Petsch was asked which superhero she’d like to play, and she said, “Jean Grey, obviously.” Petsch admits she’s unfamiliar with the character’s existing big-screen outings, saying, “I’ve not seen many Marvel films. ‘Many’ is an operative term for zero, but I have been seeing some fan casts for Jean Grey, and I’ve done my research.” Petsch added that after scoping out the character, she thinks playing Jean Grey would “be really fun.”
Should Madelaine Petsch Be Jean Grey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Jean Grey is one of the core X-Men, a founding member of the team and there from the debut issue of the comics in 1963. Often associated with the Phoenix persona, Grey is also one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, and her arrival in the MCU is highly anticipated. Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner played Grey in the 20th Century FoxX-Menfilms; rumors regarding who might play the MCU’s Jean Grey have includedTwistersstar Daisy Edgar-Jones, while many also thinkSadie Sink is actually playing the character inSpider-Man: Brand New Day.
While some fans might bristle against Petsch not having seen any Marvel movies, that shouldn’t disqualify her from playing the character. Her job is to be an actor, not a fan, and there’s no rule that says someone who’s never seen a Marvel movie or read a comic can’t play the character or do the job well. Jean Grey is a multi-faceted role that would be a fun challenge for any actor, so it’s easy to understand why Petsch would be interested despite not really being a Marvel fan. There are even some similarities between Jean Grey and Petsch’sRiverdalecharacter Cheryl Blossom, andPetsch was easily one of the best parts ofRiverdale, so her addition to the MCU would be welcome.
Marvel Studios reportedly isn’t going after A-list actors for the X-Men, meaning Petsch might be just the right kind of famous for Jean Grey. She has a solid resume with credits on a hit television show and a horror franchise, proving herself in a variety of genres. With many of herRiverdaleco-stars lining up big projects, from Camila Mendes inMasters of the Universeto Lili Reinhart inThe Love Hypothesisand KJ Apa playing James Stewart in a biopic, Petsch as Jean Grey seems like the right call — and it could be the film that breaks her onto the A-list.
