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LOS ANGELES, April 25 (UPI) -- Famke Janssen says sexism is to blame for her absence from X-Men: Apocalypse. The 51-year-old actress, who played Jean Grey in the Marvel cinematic universe, revealed in an interview with the Entertainment Weekly podcast that she hoped to reprise an older version of the character in the sequel.
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Janssen portrayed Jean in X-Men, X-Men 2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past, as well as in the spinoff The Wolverine. Sophie Turner will play a younger version of the character in Apocalypse.
"It's not the first time, obviously, it's happened, in the X-Men series. They've been doing this for years," Janssen said of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender playing young versions of Professor X and Magneto.
"Although women, it's interesting because they're replaced, and the older versions -- or more mature, whatever the politically correct version of that is -- are never to be seen again. Whereas the men are allowed to be both ages," she added.
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen originated Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men series and appeared alongside McAvoy and Fassbender in Days of Future Past. Janssen wanted to do the same with Turner in Apocalypse but received no response.
"I think that I should be back along with my younger version," the actress said. "Yes, I [pitched it to producers]. I have not heard any feedback on that, other than total radio silence."
Janssen previously told Digital Spy she is "looking forward to seeing what [Turner has] done with Jean." The actress will next appear on the May 5 and 12 episodes of The Blacklist, while X-Men: Apocalypse opens in theaters May 27.
