Riverdale alum Madelaine Petsch has finally responded to fans’ fantasy casting of her in two different iconic superhero roles. Those fans have been imagining Petsch as either Poison Ivy, the environmentalist Batman villain in the DC Universe, or Jean Grey, one of the founding members of Marvel’s X-Men.
Unfortunately for those fans, it seems like neither role is in the cards for Petsch, at least at present. Petsch recently spoke to ScreenRant ahead of her latest film, The Stranger — Chapter 3. During the interview, Petsch confirmed that there’s been no actual discussion about her taking over either of these roles. However, she did share her feelings about the hypothetical roles, citing both as exciting potential acting challenges.
“Both of those roles would be worth it creatively, no matter what,” Petsch says. “That would honestly be an honor. There’s been no movement so far that I can speak to.”
The idea of Petsch playing Poison Ivy or Jean Grey originated from a familiar source: Petsch herself. The actor, best known for playing Cherry Blossom in The CW’s Archie Comics adaptation Riverdale, has said in interviews that both are characters she’d be eager to play, and even shared on social media that she dressed up as Poison Ivy for Halloween some years ago, tagging The Batman director Matt Reeves in the post.
“Poison Ivy, it’s my dream,” Petsch said. “We’re working on it. I dressed up as Poison Ivy, I don’t remember how many Halloweens ago, just to get their attention. It’s like, ‘Hey, Matt Reeves, are we paying attention?’ They haven’t made the movie yet, so who knows?”
Madeleine Petsch Wants to Play Poison Ivy and Jean Grey
With no forward movement regarding these roles for Petsch, she and her fans will have to keep imagining and campaigning for now. In the meantime, The Batman: Part II is moving forward with the casting of Sebastian Stan as its villain, likely Two-Face. Meanwhile, Stranger Things alum Sadie Sink is rumored to be playing the MCU’s Jean Grey (though she’s rumored to be playing pretty much every redheaded, female Marvel character).
There has recently been movement on the DC Universe’s first Batman movie as well. DC Studios tapped Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson to pen the script for The Brave and the Bold. Perhaps Petsch should start tagging Hodson in her posts and see about getting Poison Ivy written into the film to challenge the Dynamic Duo.
Petsch can next be seen in The Strangers — Chapter 3, reprising her role as Maya, the sole survivor of the rebooted horror trilogy. The film is the final installment of the series, and its logline promises a “full-circle reckoning of survival and revenge” as Maya enters her final battle with the mysterious masked trio of killers.
The Strangers — Chapter 3 opens in theaters on February 6.
Release Date
February 6, 2026
Runtime
91 Minutes
Director
Renny Harlin
Cast
Richard Brake
Sheriff Rotter
