Iman Vellani has called out Fox for mishandling the Phoenix Saga in X-Men: The Last Stand. The Ms. Marvel actor has loved mutants for years, so this opinion comes from genuine fandom and some serious comic knowledge. The film closed out a trilogy that fans still argue about at family dinners and in comment sections. Now an official Marvel podcast has handed that long-running debate a fresh and very opinionated voice.
Studios usually milk franchises until they run dry, but Vellani thinks Fox never milked this one nearly enough.
Iman Vellani says the Phoenix Saga deserved at least three films
Iman Vellani says Fox should have given the Phoenix Saga at least three films. She is a devoted X-Men fan. Her target was X-Men: The Last Stand.
“If they wanted to do the Phoenix Saga properly it should’ve been three or four movies, really milk it,” Vellani said.
She added, “this movie [X-Men: The Last Stand] failed the minute that they made Jean’s story also secondary.”
Jean Grey spends the final fight standing behind Magneto.
X-Men Marvel comic book for sale in a store, The Uncanny XMEN comic books for sale in a second hand comic store. Marvel Comics superheroes Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Vintage retro issue with the classic characters like Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Rogue, Sabretooth, Bishop, Cyclops and others. Cover with Storm, Bishop, Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean Grey
The comments came from the Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast, hosted by Frank Alvarez. The series began in August 2026 with rewatches of the Infinity Saga films, building toward Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. After covering the MCU’s biggest stories, the podcast has now turned to Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, given the expected relevance of several actors from those films to the upcoming crossover. During the discussion, Vellani also admitted that she still refuses to watch Dark Phoenix (2019), Fox’s second attempt at adapting the same storyline.
While Fox parked Grey behind Magneto, Vellani already has a prediction about who owns the spotlight in Avengers: Doomsday.
Iman Vellani predicts a huge Loki role in Avengers: Doomsday
Iman Vellani predicts Loki will matter enormously in Avengers: Doomsday, calling him the God of Stories on the same podcast. She pointed out that the character has been k***** and redeemed more times than she can count. Vellani also said she will back Loki as long as Tom Hiddleston plays him. Her one admission was that she has no idea what Marvel Studios plans to do, or doom, in the film.
Credits: Disney+
Loki Season 1
That status traces back to Loki Season 2, when he sat at the end of time and became the guardian of the multiverse. The first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday has already shown him, while Robert Downey Jr. plays Doctor Doom. Insider Daniel Richtman also claims the Void could feature, though Marvel Studios has confirmed nothing. Whatever the studio has planned, Vellani has made one thing clear: big stories need big room, and the Phoenix Saga would have happily taken three films’ worth.
What are your thoughts on Iman Vellani criticizing X-Men: The Last Stand? Let us know in the comments.
