If you know about Madelaine Petsch, then chances are you’re familiar with her either from when she was playing Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale (which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription) or have seen her more recently playing Maya Lucas in The Strangers movies. But there’s also a contingent of people out there who think that Petsch would be a great fit to play either Poison Ivy or Jean Grey in upcoming DC movies and upcoming Marvel movies, respectively. The actress has shared her thoughts on these fancasts.
Ahead of The Strangers – Chapter 3 opening on the 2026 movies schedule next week, Petsch was asked by ScreenRant what she thought about the many fans who want to see her play these popular Marvel and DC characters in live action. She answered:
Both of those roles would be worth it creatively no matter what. That would honestly be an honor. There’s been no movement so far that I can speak to.
This actually isn’t the first time Madelaine Petsch has chimed in about Poison Ivy. Last November, she recalled dressing up as the longtime Batman villain years back for Halloween, and how it’s her “dream” to play the role. Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Pamela Isley, was previously portrayed on the big screen by Uma Thurman in Batman & Robin, as well as by Clare Foley, Maggie Geha and Peyton List on Gotham, and Bridget Regan on Batwoman.
Then there’s Jean Grey, one of the superhero genre’s other beloved redheads. Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner have previously portrayed the mutant also known as Marvel and Phoenix in the X-Men movies. Since there will eventually come a day when the X-Men characters are fully rebooted within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s a good bet that Jean Grey will be among that roster, and Madelaine Petsch would be game to bring her to life.
So are the chances that this could actually happen? Personally, I think that Poison Ivy would be the likelier of the two for Petsch given that she’s an adult character, whereas it’s unclear whether the Jean Grey we see in the MCU will be an adult or a teenaged student at Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. If it’s the latter, then someone younger will surely be cast in the role rather than Petsch, who’s 31 at the time of this writing.
But hey, if the new Jean Grey ends up being an adult like when we met Famke Janssen’s version in 2000’s X-Men, then by all means, Marvel Studios, consider Madelaine Petsch for the role. As for where we could see Petsch play Poison Ivy if that’s in the cards, currently there two ways that could happen: 1, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II, or 2, somewhere in the DC Universe franchise, with the Batman and Robin-focused The Brave and the Bold being the most logical option. My money would be on the DCU rather than The Batman: Part II since Poison Ivy is a more fantastical villain and wouldn’t fit in as well within Reeves’ grounded world.
Rest assured regardless, you can count on CinemaBlend to share the news if Madelaine Petsch is cast as either Poison Ivy or Jean Grey. Until then, you can get your fill of previous film and TV adaptations of those characters by breaking out your HBO Max subscription for Ivy and Disney+ subscription for Jean.
