Sadie Sink teases Jean Grey’s ‘X-Men’ future after ‘Spider-Man’: ‘I know what’s true’
This story contains spoilers from 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'
Sadie Sink spent more than a year concealing the identity of her Marvel character. Now that ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has introduced her as Jean Grey, the actor can discuss where the mutant goes next. She is still keeping one part of that future under wraps, however. As reports connect Kit Connor and Samara Weaving to Marvel’s ‘X-Men,’ Sink has made it clear that she knows more than she can disclose.
‘Brand New Day’ presents Jean as a young telepath and telekinetic whose pain puts her in conflict with Peter Parker. The film also gives the character an origin story before she moves on to the next chapter in the 'X-Men' team. In interviews with Variety and Entertainment Weekly, Sink confirmed that her appearance was designed to continue beyond the ‘Spider-Man’ movie. Asked by Variety if Jean will return in ‘X-Men,’ she replied, “Yes, she will.”
Sink has already met ‘X-Men’ director Jake Schreier and discussed the movie while it remains in development. She told EW that Schreier first met her after attending ‘John Proctor Is the Villain,’ when Jean was the only established mutant in the project. Their conversations covered the developing script as well as the actors who could join her. “It’s interesting to be at the very beginning of it,” Sink said. “Now that it’s out and X-Men is being talked about, and it’s happening, it’s so exciting to think about what’s next for her.”
That next step will build on the version of Jean introduced in ‘Brand New Day.’ Sink told Variety that the character’s struggle and relationship with her powers will remain important as she moves forward. The movie introduces Jean before she becomes a hero, leaving room for her to change as she finds her place among other mutants. Sink also told EW, “I think it was such a smart choice, too, to start young and have this younger generation of mutants.”
Marvel has not announced the full cast around Sink, but reports have linked Connor to Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops, and Weaving to Emma Frost. When Variety asked whether she had met either of the reported co-stars, Sink said she had not but hoped to do so soon. She was then asked for her reaction to the Connor report. Sink acknowledged the volume of online speculation before offering a short tease, “There’s so many rumors online, but overall, it’s been exciting to see, even if you don’t know what’s true or not, just how much intrigue there is and how much buzz about the movie. I know what’s true.”
Her involvement in the casting process goes beyond hearing rumors. Sink confirmed that she has participated in screen tests for roles whose dynamic with Jean matters. “There are certain characters that it’s important to establish, like, do you have chemistry with this person?” she explained. The tests also allow Sink to revisit Jean after the events that shaped her first MCU appearance and to consider how the character now behaves outside the circumstances of that story.
Sink knows when production on ‘X-Men’ is expected to begin, although she did not reveal the schedule. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know when that’s happening, which is good,” she told EW when asked about filming. She compared the position to working on ‘Stranger Things’: knowing another chapter was coming before receiving scripts, while having a broad sense of its direction. For now, Sink remains the only confirmed member of a younger mutant lineup whose remaining members Marvel has yet to reveal.
