10 X-Men Characters That Jean Grey Needs to Interact With In The MCU (Including Her Greatest Rival)

Jean Grey is one of the strongest, most essential, and pivotal X-Men characters. Introduced in 1963’s X-Men #1 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, she’s interacted with hundreds, if not thousands, of mutants and non-mutants alike that either serve as allies or enemies. Now that she’s been formally introduced thanks to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with Sadie Sink’s performance, many fans have been discussing just what her place in the MCU is going to be and which characters she’ll be interacting with.

Some are obvious, like her star-crossed lover or mentor, but others would be strong indications of the direction the MCU plans to take Jean Grey. The easy solution would be to bring her into the Phoenix storyline, but that storyline is exhausting to general audiences at this point. Delving into her comic history reveals many characters she could interact with, enriching her role and deepening fan engagement with her journey.

10) Emma Frost is Jean Grey’s Greatest Rival

Emma Frost, created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in X-Men #129, is a powerful telepath and one of the most influential members of the Hellfire Club. She serves as an occasional adversary to her contemporary Charles Xavier and an ally of the X-Men as well. Most fans recognize her relationship with Jean as one of telepathic and romantic rivals. Both are greatly interested in Cyclops and Scott Summers, and each has their own reasons for disliking the other. Their initial interactions were extremely spiteful and filled with envy. But the two of them have begun to like each other and work together begrudgingly.

The MCU has already cast Emma Frost, giving the role to the actress Samara Weaving. So X-Men fans are interested in seeing what Emma Frost’s relationship is going to be with Sadie Sink’s Jean. Emma’s dislike of Jean comes from a place of envy and a love for Cyclops, but with the age difference between Samara and Sadie, there’s a chance the MCU may not play up the love triangle angle and instead focus on Emma’s jealousy. With Sadie’s Jean having once had a telepathic sister, it’d be interesting to see how she interacts with another telepath that is more hostile than her sister.

9) Beast & Jean Are Part of the Original 5

Henry McCoy debuted alongside Jean’s Marvel Girl in the original X-Men comics, making him part of the founding five alongside other key X-Men characters. In the comics, they have a close platonic relationship born of respect. But Henry wasn’t immune to Jean’s charms and was later revealed to have an unrequited crush on Jean. But both characters have something in common that would be exciting to explore in the MCU—their monstrous side.

In many X-Men comics, there’s an exploration of atrocities both Henry and Jean have done to the world. The major difference is that Henry has shown less remorse for his actions than Jean has, with Henry believing that the ends justify the means in many of his cases. This relationship would be great to explore in the MCU, as Jean has already committed an atrocity in New York City during the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The team behind the X-Men MCU movies can have Beast and Jean parallel each other and discuss what it means to be a monster.

8) Jean & Angel Created the X-Factor

Warren Worthington III, or Angel, is another one of the founding X-Men members alongside Jean. As another male in a team with one woman, Angel also had an unrequited crush on Jean but was far more adamant about winning her affection than Beast was, beginning the original love triangle between Jean, him, and Cyclops. Angel’s affection for Jean could be a major source of drama in future MCU movies if the love triangle between Jean, Emma, and Scott doesn’t come to fruition, especially since Angel has a healthy reaction to being rejected by Jean.

But where a lot of the interesting dynamics between Jean and Angel come into play is in the unexplored aspect of Jean Grey’s life: X-Factor. X-Factor was a team formed by Angel and the original founding members of the X-Men, acting as “mutant hunters” who would secretly train the mutants they hunted to better use their abilities for survival. Angel’s money backs up the organization and could be how the MCU does the X-Men at the start. Rather than all the kids being brought to Xavier’s school, the team of super-powered children can use Angel’s funds to operate as a secret mutant-hunting organization that saves mutants in the MCU’s world. Obviously, X-Factor would eventually have to fade away in favor of the X-Men, but it would be an interesting beginning of the crew’s relationship. X-Factor would be a great piece of X-Men lore to adapt, as it’d be new content for many current X-Men fans.

7) Jubilee Can See Jean As a Big Sister

Jubilee, introduced in Uncanny X-Men #244, is a far younger mutant and a younger X-Men member. A fiery and bubbly girl, Jubilee is often seen as a sister to Jean in the comics, with Jean serving as a major mentor figure for Jubilee. Jubilee’s closest mentor is Wolverine, but after him, it would be Jean. Jean serves as a mother figure to Jubilee because of their substantial age difference. In the MCU, Sadie Sink is playing Jean at a much younger age, but that doesn’t mean that the two can’t share the same relationship.

It’d be great to see Jean continue to heal from her trauma involving her mother and sister by taking on a bigger mentoring role for a younger mutant like Jubilee. Sadie Sink played the role of an older sister well in Stranger Things’ final season, so having it replicated in the MCU can greatly win fans’ affection for Jean and Jubilee. The two of them can also have great dynamics, with Jubilee being more energetic and Jean trying to be cooler and more relaxed.

6) Jason Wyngarde is the Mastermind Behind Jean’s Darkest Era

Jason Wyngarde, also known as Mastermind, is a mutant with the ability to manipulate perception, creating powerful illusions that deceive the senses and alter reality in others’ minds. A powerful villain that is largely responsible for Jean Grey turning into the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club and taking on a more villainous role in the comics, and turning her into the Dark Phoenix. He takes on the role of a charming, suave gentleman but is manipulative, cruel, and narcissistic, and his powers make him a great danger to the X-Men when he joins the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Not only would his introduction in the MCU spell great danger for the X-Men side of the MCU, but also for Jean Grey, as he takes a personal interest in her powers. And it would be a great dark mirror for Jean to look into, considering she was using her powers to deceive others as well.

5) Wolverine is a Rival for Jean’s Affection

Wolverine is one of the X-Men’s most iconic team members and one of Jean Grey’s most complicated romantic relationships. Consistently being a rival for Jean’s affection with Scott, he acts as the “bad boy” to Scott’s “boy scout” persona. They have stolen kisses in the face of death, steamy nights on mutant islands, and more with a collection of fans all across the world. However, this relationship is played out extensively, having been a major factor in the last X-Men cinematic universe, with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. And considering the MCU handles romance a bit more safely, it’s possible the MCU won’t approach this subject. If fans are eager to see it, Insomniac has them handled.

But beyond their romance, Jean and Wolverine share a strong bond. The two consistently save each other from the brink, understand each other intimately, and help each other move past their most traumatic memories. This relationship would be nice to explore in the MCU, even if it isn’t romantic, and the two of them have great battles together that would be great to see on the big screen.

4) Storm is Jean’s Closest Female Relationship

Ororo Munroe is another extremely powerful X-Men mutant and often takes on a leadership role thanks to her maturity and powers. Most importantly, she is considered Jean’s closest female relationship, one that places them on equal footing and is free of dislike or envy toward each other. Storm is one of the most requested mutants to appear in the MCU and may be being added thanks to Ryan Coogler, director of the Black Panther trilogy.

The inclusion of Storm would be great for Jean, as it’d show audiences a healthy relationship between two powerful mutants who consider each other sisters. The MCU’s Jean lacks a sister, so finding one in Storm would be fantastic for the character, especially one who can understand what it means to have her kind of destructive powers. To see the two share the screen as equals would be great for fans of the characters.

3) Madelyne Pryor is Jean’s Dark Mirror

Madelyne Pryor may be the most complicated aspect of Jean Grey’s history to explore in the cinematic world. Madelyne is a clone of Jean created by the villain Mister Sinister. Madelyne manages to worm her way into Scott’s heart before being revealed to be a clone and taking on the mantle of the Goblin Queen. Madelyne waged war against the X-Men and X-Factor, attempting to kill everyone. Madelyne and Jean become antagonistic towards each other, and, given they share the same powers, there are many interesting narrative possibilities for their characters in the MCU.

Sadie Sink played a villainous Jean Grey perfectly in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so it’d be fun to see her reprise that attitude if there’s been such a long time between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Madelyne Pryor’s appearance. To see Jean confront a moment in her arc when she was darker, alone, and cruel to others would be a great ending to her arc in the MCU, especially if it is the finale of her time in the MCU.

2) Professor X is Jean Grey’s Most Influential Mentor

Professor X, Charles Xavier, is one of the most important X-Men characters in history. As the founder of the X-Men, he is the one who brought Jean Grey into the central struggle between mutants and humans. The relationship between Charles and Jean is complex and multi-layered. Xavier is a mentor, a father figure, and, for a while, the only telepath Jean is commonly around. In some comic origins, Charles mentors Jean early in her childhood. Obviously, the MCU isn’t taking that approach with Jean’s origin, but there’s no doubt they’ll adapt the mentor-protégé relationship.

Xavier’s introduction would create the X-Men, who may become the primary team in the MCU’s Marvel saga. Acting as the team’s leader and mentor would mean Xavier and Jean would have many moments together. Since Jean is the mutant the audience is familiar with at the moment, she’s likely to be Charles’s immediate right-hand man alongside Cyclops. It’ll be fantastic to see how Sadie Sink bounces off the actor who would play Xavier, and whether her darker origin story would counteract Charles’s more intense desire for peace.

1) Cyclops is Jean Grey’s One True Love

Cyclops, or Scott Summers, is the leader of the X-Men and likely the next casting announcement Marvel will make regarding the mutant saga of its cinematic universe. There’s a lot to do with Cyclops and his relationship to the world, and the MCU is going to have a field day with it, but one aspect the MCU is going to play with is the relationship between him and Jean Grey. From their first introduction to the present day, they’ve been on and off lovers, close to Mary Jane and Peter Parker.

The previous X-Men movies haven’t done a great job of expanding on Cyclops and Jean Grey’s relationship. While the MCU hasn’t really succeeded with romance in their movies so far, this may be the perfect opportunity to do so. Jean and Scott understand each other on a level that no other mutant does. To see their relationship flourish on the big screen would be a reinvigorating experience for moviegoers. Sadie Sink has shown great chemistry with her costars before, so fans are eager to see how that chemistry could translate onto the big screen with Cyclops’ actor.

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