I liked Famke as Jean,but imo she was a little old for the role(in the comics jean was in her teens and then 20s). What actresses in their 20s could have played Jean at the time? Maybe Alicia Witt,Jennifer Garner,Milla Jovovich,Kate Beckinsale or Jamie Luner?
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They were fortunate to have Famke Janssen playing Jean. She's an amazing actress who is unfortunately underrated. If you've seen her other work on things like Nip/Tuck you'd see what I'm talking about. Famke can act circles around those ladies mentioned.
As far as casting someone in their twenties. They wanted to make this Jean more grown up and sophisticated. She's supposed to be a doctor and a spokesperson for mutant rights. Someone in their twenties just wouldn't have made sense. The movie versions of the characters are different than the comics in some ways. They wanted to make it more realistic.
They were fortunate to have Famke Janssen playing Jean. She's an amazing actress who is unfortunately underrated. If you've seen her other work on things like Nip/Tuck you'd see what I'm talking about.
As far as casting someone in their twenties. They wanted to make this Jean more grown up and sophisticated. She's supposed to be a doctor and a spokesperson for mutant rights. Someone in their twenties just wouldn't have made sense.
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As soon as I saw the title of your post Jovovich came to mind. I also think Garner would have been a better Jean Grey than she was Elektra.
Jessica Biel maybe?
I still don't understand why someone in their twenties would have been preferable? Perhaps if it had been Jean Grey as a teen or as a child another actress would have had to have been cast, but as an adult Jean Grey, I believe that Famke Janssen was a great choice. I'm glad whoever made that casting decision made the right choice. She has done a great job in the role. Hopefully we'll continue to see Famke's portrayal of the adult version of Jean Grey in future films. They've already cast Sophie Turner as the young version of Jean Grey. I'm assuming it will be Jean Grey as a teenager. In that scenario it makes sense to cast someone younger. Who's to say that superheroes can't age? In my opinion it would be awesome to see a middle-aged woman portrayed as something other than a mother or ex wife. I think that there is a huge female audience out there who is tired of going to the movies to see yet another 20 year old paired with some 50 year old man as a romantic interest. They would like to see someone on screen who they can relate to and who they can root for. Someone who is not in their twenties or even thirties anymore.
An example of the double standard is Liam Neeson. He is over 60 years old and an action star. Ironically his co star in the "Taken" movie series is Famke Janssen, who by the way, is at least 12 years his junior but plays his ex wife who is not part of the action. Another example would be Robert Downey Jr. who is pushing 50 and still Ironman. These men are still considered bankable action stars. Why does Hollywood feel that there wouldn't be an audience for a female action star? Perhaps because people still see women as done once they're past a certain age? Why continue to feed into that? I personally would pay to see a movie with a female protagonist who is older than 40. Even if it were only to break down the wall that's keeping women from being seen as anything more than a prop after 40.
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I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just putting my opinion out there. :)
shareI didn't really mind Famke's age. But since you asked, I guess Jennifer Garner could have worked. She certainly has an all-American girl quality that suits Jean. (Don't know if I could buy her as Dark Phoenix, though.) Other possible choices that come to mind are Charlize Theron and Bridget Moynahan.
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She is the same age as Famke
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She looked more youthful, plus she matches the comics, and especially the animated series pretty accurately.
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good choice
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they messed up in The Last Stand by making Famke look much worse than she normally does.
Ay me, sad hours seem long
Too old? She's supposed to be a doctor (of sorts). Her being in her 20's wouldn't make sense.
And there is a 9 year age difference between the actors. Why is that so horrible but when a male actor is older it's seen as ok? There is a 17 year age difference between Jackman and Okamato (Mariko) in Wolverine and no one seems to give a *beep* about that.
Too old
And there is a 9 year age difference between the actors.
when a male actor is older it's seen as ok?
There is a 17 year age difference between Jackman and Okamato (Mariko) in Wolverine and no one seems to give a *beep* about that.
So what if she was in her late teens in the comics (never read them)? She was amazing in the movies and I didn't notice that there was anything weird about her relationship with Cyclops. They looked good together.
And what does Marsden age have to do with this? Why should he and his age be the yardstick and the actress be the same age as him? Why couldn't Cyclops be the same age as her? And him being the wrong age?
"So what if she was in her late teens in the comics (never read them)?"
Thats What I am going by
"And what does Marsden age have to do with this? Why should he and his age be the yardstick and the actress be the same age as him? Why couldn't Cyclops be the same age as her? And him being the wrong age?"
He was in the right age range,I am going by the comics you would know that if you paid attention to my responses
Some of you say it does not make sense for Jean to be younger since she is a dr. Well there have been a few young doctors in real life,I don't think it would have been too much of a stretch for her to be a doctor in her 20s
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A doctor in her twenties who is such an expert on genetic mutations that she is giving testimony at a senate hearing. To me that is stretching it. They took certain liberties with the source material and made an original movie out of it. I equate it to those movies that state,"Based on a true story.". In the movie makers' adaptation Jean was a doctor and was probably in her thirties. I don't believe she's a doctor in the comics either. I have read that they made Jean a doctor in the movie version to incorporate the character of Beast. Since Beast was a doctor but the character of Beast would not be used in the first film. Then they had Jean be the doctor who was testifying in defense of mutant rights. I saw no issue with James Marsden being younger than Famke Janssen. He was playing a role. If they wanted someone the same age to play Cyclops then I do believe that it is Marsden who should not have been cast. He would have been too young for the role at the time of filming. My guess is that movie Jean(who is different than comic book Jean) is supposed to be in her thirties in the first X-men film. Famke Janssen was in her thirties when the first X-men film was filmed and released. In my opinion, casting Famke as Dr. Jean Grey was a great choice! She brought to the role the gravitas that their version of the character required.
If you haven't watched any X-Men film beyond "X-men:The Last Stand" I recommend that you not click on the spoiler.
Now that the movie "Days of Future Past" has come out things get crazier still. By now it shouldn't be a huge spoiler that Jean and Scott are back. The future at the end of that film is supposed to be the year 2023. " X-Men: Apocalypse" is supposed to be set in the 80's. Jean and Scott are supposed to be teens in that movie. Lets do the math. Does that mean that Jean and Scott are in their late 50's in DOFP since it's 2023? They both looked pretty damned good to me for a couple that's pushing 60! Now they're both too young for their roles! Lol
A doctor in her twenties who is such an expert on genetic mutations that she is giving testimony at a senate hearing. To me that is stretching it.
I'll agree with you on that. I'm sure there were actresses in their twenties who could have also played the role. I think Famke was a great choice. I think they took a risk because the only other big role I remember her as at the time was Xenia in "Goldeneye". That character was totally psychotic. Quite the opposite of the calm and gentle Dr. Jean Grey. When I watched "Goldeneye", years after I had watched the X-men films, I honestly did not know that was Famke Janssen- Quite a contrast.I guess they saw that Famke could play the Dark Phoenix? Their risk paid off because she did a great job in the dual role of Dr. Jean Grey/The Phoenix. It's a shame that they wasted her talent in "X-men: The Last Stand". It should have been all about The Phoenix. They could have left the cure thing for another movie.
I think they missed the mark with the casting of James Marsden as Cyclops. He was too young and inexperienced as an actor in my opinion. He came off as a frat boy more than a great leader. I would have liked to have seen someone who had as strong of a presence as Hugh Jackman did as Wolverine. I don't think Marsden's acting was on par with that of both Famke Janssen and Hugh Jackman. He seemed dwarfed by them. That's not even a pun about his height compared to their's(since he's shorter than Famke and Hugh).
I'll agree with you on that. I'm sure there were actresses in their twenties who could have also played the role.
I think they missed the mark with the casting of James Marsden as Cyclops. He was too young and inexperienced as an actor in my opinion.
I'm not a fan of Famke Janssen, but, I think she was a pretty good choice for Jean. She did well. I don't know who else could have played her better.
Hugh Jackman was the best and lucky casting choice
Big fan of James Marsden as Cyclops. I've seen him in other films and feel he was a perfect choice as the X Men leader. Just wish they had given him more to show how great a leader he was and hated what they did to him in Last Stand
I think they had about 90% of the casting right. Halle Berry was the actual worst miscast as Storm. She was surprisingly weak and I wish they had stuck to one actress for Kitty Pryde
Considering the X-men are gifted individuals I don't its stretching it.It would be no different than a blind man who by day is one of the most successful lawyers in New York and a kickass vigilante by night who is trained in all these martial arts styles and jumping around all over New York.
You're mixing apples and sheet metal. Matt Murdock's powers have nothing to do with him getting a law degree - he does that the old-fashioned way (poly sci major in college, three years law school, pass the bar exam). He got his fighting and acrobatic skills the same way - working at them since he was in his mid-teens.
The "gifted" part of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters doesn't mean that every one of the X-Men has superior intelligence--Colossus, Wolverine, and Rogue have never been portrayed in the comics as more than average (at best). It's just used as a cover for the school's real purpose.
I think Selma Blair could have been very good as a young Jean, she's very versatile and has strong presence.
shareI think in general the casting was off in X-men. Famke was probably too old compared to Marsden, but more importantly they didn't have any chemistry. Marsden is too much of a nice guy actor and just didn't have the command that Cyclops should have. The only actors ended up taking control of their characters were Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romaine. I like Ian McKellan but he just seemed to old to be Magneto.
shareOriginally Singer wanted Christopher Lee(Who is much older) for Magneto before Sir Ian was Cast,Lee was also considered for Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Sir Ian got that Role too. Sir Ian is only a year older than Stewart,but Stewart had to be cast since he was the fan favorite for Professor X since the 80s
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Garner could be OK but Jovovich and Beckinsale haven't impressed me in their acting. The only younger actress I would have really liked would be Kate Winslet.
IMO Marsden seemed too much younger than Janssen in the first film but they nicely seemed the same age in the second.
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Neither are particularly time appropriate. Chastain had just began attending Juilliard in 1999 and wouldn't start doing auditions until about 2003. Howard, meanwhile, graduated from high school in 1999 and had only played extras in her father's movies at that point. She did some theater work after that and started actually acting in Hollywood productions at around the same time that Chastain did.
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