Elle Fanning Reportedly in the Running for Major X-MEN Role in the MCU — GeekTyrant
According to entertainment insider Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic podcast with John Rocha, Elle Fanning is once again being considered for a major role in the MCU's future X-Men lineup. Specifically, she's reportedly being eyed for Jean Grey, one of the most iconic and complex characters in the mutant canon.
Sneider mentioned that Fanning is on the shortlist alongside Margaret Qualley and Daisy Edgar-Jones, saying the Predator: Badlands actress is 'back on the list' for Jean with Marvel's new class of mutants.
Fanning's potential connection to the role isn't new. She was previously in the running for X-Men: Apocalypse before the Disney-Fox merger, a part that ultimately went to Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner. The reason? Apparently, it came down to Instagram followers.
Fanning said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in May 2023: 'I did try out for…I'm not going to say what it was, but I didn't get a part once for something big because – it might not have just been this reason, but this was the feedback that I heard – was because I didn't have enough Instagram followers at the time.'
'So that was a little like…I firmly don't believe in not getting a part [for that]. It was for a bigger thing, a franchise thing.'
Turner later confirmed that situation in her own words: 'I auditioned for a project and it was between me and another girl who is a far better actress than I am, far better, but I had the followers, so I got the job. It's not right, but it is part of the movie industry now.'
With Marvel Studios gearing up for what's being unofficially called the 'Mutant Saga,' it looks like the X-Men are going to be a key part of the next chapter after Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars .
Kevin Feige has teased a long-term roadmap for the mutants, saying Marvel is laying out a 10-year plan, much like it did with the Infinity Saga.
We're still in rumor territory here, but with Death Stranding 2 and a steady stream of acclaimed performances under her belt, Fanning is riding a new wave of visibility and critical respect. If she does land the role of Jean Grey, it would mark a poetic return to a part she was once passed over for, this time on talent alone.
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