Sophie Turner Clarifies Her Absence from ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ Shattering MCU Comeback Hopes

Deadpool & Wolverine has emerged as the biggest superhero hit of recent years, achieving remarkable success at the box office and resonating with audiences, effectively breaking the MCU’s recent dry spell.

A significant portion of this success can be attributed to the appearances of iconic Marvel legacy characters. Fans have enjoyed the returns of Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and even some fan-favorite castings like Channing Tatum as Gambit.

Fans were hoping to see more notable characters from the former Fox X-Men franchise return, including Jean Grey, portrayed by both Sophie Turner and Famke Janssen. Although there were rumors of Janssen’s appearance, fans were ultimately disappointed by the absence of both actresses.

Famke Janssen’s portrayal of Jean Grey in the earlier X-Men films set a high standard, leading many fans to form a strong attachment to her version of the character. This resulted in Turner’s portrayal often being unfavorably compared to Janssen’s, which may have influenced perceptions of her performance.

Turner also faced challenges with weak scripts, further complicating her portrayal. However, considering that Garner’s earlier portrayal of Elektra was not well-received yet is now appreciated by fans, it’s likely that time and nostalgia may shift opinions about Turner as well.

While Janssen has not publicly explained her absence, Turner recently spoke to Variety about it and revealed some intriguing details. She mentioned that she signed something related to the film and her character but was never expected to appear on screen. Turner also stated that that era is behind her, indicating that fans shouldn’t anticipate her return in future MCU projects, including Secret Wars.

No, I mean, I think, I think there’s, like, some sort of thing at the end where they used a clip from X-Men. I remember signing some sort of contract.

But no, that part of my life I think is well and truly over. I mean, maybe not — I love doing superhero-y action stuff, but I think the Jean Grey storyline for me is probably. It’s had its time.

Source: Variety

Turner’s reluctance to reprise her role likely stems from the overall weakness of her character’s storyline. In both X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey was not given sufficient depth or development compared to her comic book counterpart. Many fans felt that her arc lacked the essential elements needed to do justice to her comic evolution.

While it seems unlikely that Turner will return as Jean Grey, there’s still hope that Janssen might be more inclined to revisit her iconic role.

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