Human Torch star Joseph Quinn addresses Johnny Storm’s playboy personality and explains how his MCU portrayal distances itself from this aspect of the comic book character in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The Fantastic Four have been adapted to live-action four times before Marvel Studios’ upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Johnny Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch has appeared on the big screen one additional time, played by Chris Evans in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Josh Trank’s dark Fantastic Four notwithstanding, every live-action Fantastic Four adaptation has been relatively faithful to the source material.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ main cast discuss their takes on Marvel’s First Family. Human Torch actor Joseph Quinn reveals his version of Johnny Storm is “less callous with other people’s feelings” and not the same “womanizing, devil-may-care guy” character that many comic books and previous adaptations have portrayed. Quinn also states that his Johnny Storm is still funny and “leads with a lot of bravado.” Read Joseph Quinn’s full comments below:
“He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also he’s funny. Myself and [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] were speaking about previous iterations of him and where we are culturally. 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.”
Joseph Quinn Will Play A Modern Version Of Johnny Storm
Joseph Quinn’s comments suggest the MCU’s Johnny Storm won’t be as naughty and coarse as he has been in many comic books and in Fox’s two 2000s Fantastic Four movies. Chris Evans played an insolent Johnny Storm in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, where he flirted with almost every woman he came across and showcased a brazen sense of humor that often got on Ben Grimm’s nerves. Joseph Quinn will distance himself from these aspects of Johnny Storm’s personality, as there are many other traits that make the Human Torch a compelling character.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps might not be including any cameos from the MCU’s heroes, but that doesn’t mean an iconic MCU veteran won’t appear.
Joseph Quinn isn’t the only member of The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ cast taking a different approach to their character. Vanessa Kirby is playing a more mature Sue Storm who balances her life as a star and a hero with being a mother, Pedro Pascal is playing a more seasoned version of Reed Richards, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play a more playful and warm-hearted Ben Grimm. Together, the MCU’s Fantastic Four also promise to be the most devoted and inseparable iteration of the team so far, as well as the most publicly celebrated iteration of the team on the big screen.
The MCU’s Fantastic Four Needed To Be Unique
The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ titular characters will be quite different from many well-known versions of the team, both from the comics and from previous movie adaptations. Since movies like 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer pioneered several traditional traits of Marvel’s First Family, it only makes sense for the MCU to explore the heroes from a different perspective. Nevertheless, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will honor the titular character’s roots and comic book history faithfully.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
- Director
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Matt Shakman
- Producers
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Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Tim Lewis
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Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
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Vanessa Kirby
Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman
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Johnny Storm / Human Torch
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Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Ben Grimm / The Thing
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Fantastic Four
4/10
- Release Date
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June 29, 2005
- Runtime
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106 minutes
- Director
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Tim Story
- Writers
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Mark Frost, Michael France
- Producers
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Avi Arad, Bernd Eichinger, Chris Columbus, Kevin Feige, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, Ralph Winter
