Madelaine Petsch Pitches Herself for Major Upcoming MCU Role

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up to bring the X-Men into its world, and fans are buzzing about what’s coming. Back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige spilled the beans, saying mutants would join the MCU and that the X-Men would get a fresh take, different from the old Fox movies.

By September 2023, Marvel was already hunting for writers to kickstart an X-Men film, and in May 2024, Michael Lesslie was tapped to write the script, with his role locked in a year later.

Soon after, Jake Schreier, hot off the success of Thunderbolts* in 2025, was announced as the director, according to reports. Feige also teased that this X-Men movie would hit after the MCU’s big “reset” in Avengers: Secret Wars, focusing on a young, recast team of mutants to lead the charge.

One name popping up in the X-Men conversation is Madelaine Petsch, known for her role as Cheryl Blossom in Riverdale. While she hasn’t been tied to any official casting rumors, Petsch is throwing her hat in the ring for a major role. In an interview with The Direct at San Diego Comic-Con while promoting The Strangers – Chapter 2, she made it clear she’s got her eye on playing Jean Grey.

“Jean Grey, obviously. Hello. 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, and that seems like it’d be really fun,” she said.

Petsch’s enthusiasm is clear, even if she’s new to the Marvel world, and her red hair and experience with big franchises like Riverdale make her a fan-favorite pick for the powerful mutant. Other actresses like Elle Fanning and Daisy Edgar-Jones have also been floated as potential Jean Greys, but Marvel hasn’t locked in any casting yet.

With Schreier directing and Lesslie writing, the X-Men reboot is shaping up to be a fresh, youth-focused take on the iconic team, set to hit theaters likely in 2027 after Avengers: Secret Wars. Fans are eager to see who’ll step into the roles of Jean Grey and the rest of the mutants as Marvel builds its new era.

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