Joseph Quinn is stepping into the flame, but not without bringing some change. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Stranger Things breakout revealed that he helped reimagine the role of Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, for Marvel’s upcoming film The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Known for his charm and comedic arrogance, Johnny Storm has long been portrayed as a carefree womanizer who was played by Chris Evans in earlier films. But Quinn felt that version needed to be updated.
“He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so,” said Quinn.
According to the actor, he collaborated with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to shift Johnny’s persona toward someone still confident and funny, but more self-aware and sensitive to others.
“This version of Johnny is less callous with other people’s feelings,” Quinn said, “and hopefully there’s a self-awareness about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.”
Making Johnny Storm More Than Just a Playboy
Director Matt Shakman backed this evolution, noting that the character has always had depth in the comics. While Johnny’s antics may grab headlines, his intelligence and heroism are often overlooked.
“He is really smart,” Shakman said. “He’s on that spaceship for a reason… even if he’s undercutting his heroism at every turn through humor.”
Shakman emphasized that Johnny’s relationship with his sister Sue Storm (played by Vanessa Kirby) also shaped the team’s chemistry and that casting wasn’t just about finding strong individual performers, but finding actors who felt like a real family.
Finding the Right Fantastic Four
The casting process, Shakman revealed, was a “No. 1 challenge.” Alongside Quinn and Kirby, the film also stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing).
“It wasn’t just a search for who was the best Ben and who was the best Johnny,” Shakman explained, “but also who was the best family? Who was the best married couple? Who were the best siblings and honorary uncle?”
Marvel fans will get to see this new take on The Human Torch and the rest of the reimagined team when The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25. Even the actor Paul Walter Hauser said that this movie will spark Marvel’s “New Tide of Storytelling”.
