Summary
The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis one of the movies from Marvel Studios this year. Its cast members have been promoting the project and one of them reveals they will portray a different version of their characters in the film.
Kevin Feige announcedThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsin July 2019. After six years, the movie directed by Matt Shakman will soon see the light of day.First Stepsstars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, andEbon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing. One of them shared a new detail about their character, hinting that fans would see a new version of them.
Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, Moss-Bachrach and Shakman recently reunited for an interview withEntertainment Weekly. The stars spoke about their roles in the film andshared more details about their character. Quinn said fans would see a different version of Johnny in the upcoming MCU movie. The character is confident and “funny,” according to Quinn. He added that he spoke with the Marvel Studios President about his take on the character because he wanted it to be different from how it was previously portrayed. They consider what’s culturally accepted in this modern era and decide to go for it. Quinn said:
He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so. This version of Johnny is less callous with other people’s feelings, and hopefully there’s a self-awareness about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.
Hopefully They Don’t Go Too Far In Changing Johnny Storm’s Signature Characteristics
Chris Evanspreviously played Johnny inFantastic Four(2005) andFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer(2007). The Marvel star, who is popularly known for portrayingCaptain Americain multiple MCU films, surprisingly reprised hisFantastic Fourcharacter inDeadpool & Wolverine(2024). Fans loved Evans' performance inFantastic Fourbecause he captured Johnny’s cocky and thrill-seeking nature. Several said his casting was perfect and his portrayal was comic-accurate. Reviewers also considered him the most entertaining part of the film. It appears that the new film focuses on Johnny’s intelligence. The director added that the character was “really smart.” It just made sense that he was part of the space mission with theFantastic Fourto study cosmic radiation and explore the uncharted regions of space. Shakman points out that Johnny is among the “most heroic” in the team but usually undercuts his heroism through humor. “He’s Sue’s brother, which means they are cut from similar cloth,” the filmmaker added.
Quinn’s statement about his take onJohnny StorminThe First Family: First Stepssuggests that he will be portraying a version that’s modern and relatable to today’s cultural climate. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he will change the character, but they might tone down Johnny’s dated traits like being flirtatious, reckless, and hot-headed. He is often portrayed as a ladies' man, flirting with multiple women, even during missions. Johnny knows he is good-looking and charming, and he owns it. He can also be impulsive and a show-off.
It’s fine to reduce some of Johnny’s negative traits, but hopefully, they will retain his humorous nature. However, his humor often comes from his overconfidence, and he is sometimes clueless about it, which only makes it even more funny. Johnny is fiercely loyal to his family, brave amid threats, and capable of growth and emotional maturity. The film could focus on these elements, and that’s fine, so long as they keep Johnny’s humor because fans love it.
