Joseph Quinn Teases a Very Different Johnny Storm

Before the Marvel multiverse comes together for the events of Avengers: Doomsday, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will change forever with the debut of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Directed by Matt Shakman, the upcoming film will finally introduce Marvel’s First Family into the MCU. Bringing the iconic team to life will be Pedro Pascal (Reed Richard/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing).

“Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet,” the film’s synopsis reads.

Photo: IMDB

“Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”

A New Johnny Storm

One of the big questions surrounding The Fantastic Four: First Steps is how faithfully Marvel will adapt the iconic superhero team.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Joseph Quinn addressed his take on Johnny Storm.

Source: Fox/ Marvel

Unlike past iterations of Johnny, who has been played by Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan, Quinn’s version of the character will not be the womanizing hot head that he has previously been depicted as.

“He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also he’s funny,” Quinn told Entertainment Weekly.

Photo: Fantastic Four Updates

“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.”

In the same story, Shakman echoed those statements.

Photo: Disney

“He’s on that spaceship for a reason, and I think sometimes people forget that in various comic stories, he’s been one of the most heroic of them. Even if he’s undercutting his heroism at every turn through humor,” he said. “He’s Sue’s brother, which means they are cut from similar cloth.”

Will Fans Buy It?

While it is certainly possible that Quinn and Shakman pull off this new version of Johnny Storm, fans are likely going to have to see it before they believe it.

After years of waiting for The Four to enter the MCU, many will not be thrilled to hear about this character change.

The Fantastic Four. Photo: Marvel via entertainment weekly

For now, we will just have to wait and see.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.