RUMOR: Natasha Lyonne's FANTASTIC FOUR Character Was Changed For A Surprising, Possibly Controversial Reason

RUMOR: Natasha Lyonne's FANTASTIC FOUR Character Was Changed For A Surprising, Possibly Controversial Reason

We may now know why Natasha Lyonne's screen time in The Fantastic Four: First Steps was reduced to just a couple of scenes, and the reason could prove to be somewhat controversial...

By MarkCassidy - Aug 08, 2025 11:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

When we first heard that Natasha Lyonne was set to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans assumed that she'd be playing Alicia Masters (though the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. was also a popular theory), but the Poker Face star was actually cast as an original character named Rachel Rozman.

Likely based on Debbie Green from the comics, the character's name is believed to have been changed as a tribute to Jack Kirby's wife, Rosalind "Roz" Goldstein.

In the movie, Rozman is an elementary school teacher Ben Grimm meets while entertaining a group of kids on Yancy Street. The two hit it off, but Rachel only appears in one other full scene in the third act. Now, we may know why Lyonne's role was reduced.

According to John Rocha on this week's episode of The Hot Mic, Lyonne's character was originally written as a rabbi, and had "a lot more to do in the movie." Though we can't be certain, it's assumed that this plot point would have allowed for more exploration of Ben's Jewish heritage.

Rocha speculates that Rozman may have been rewritten because Disney "got scared" due to the Israel/Gaza situation, and didn't want it to seem like they were "choosing a side." There could be another explanation, of course, and we'll hopefully learn more if and when Lyonne is asked about her role in interviews.

Director Matt Shakman was asked if Lyonne was originally going to play Masters in a recent interview with Cinemblend, but didn't mention anything about the size of her role or why it may have been reduced.

First Steps stars Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place Day One) as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner (Wolf Man, Ozark) as the Silver Surfer.

Ralph Ineson plays Galactus, and Natasha Lyonne and Paul Walter Hauser are also on board in undisclosed roles. John Malkovich's Red Ghost has been cut from the movie.

"Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.

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."

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters.

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DocSpock
DocSpock - 8/8/2025, 11:35 AM

Disney pu$$ies.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 8/8/2025, 11:41 AM
@DocSpock - As opposed to...

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alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 12:14 PM
@Lisa89 - Disney from Little Mermaid days is far different than Disney now
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 8/8/2025, 12:27 PM
@DocSpock - exactly...nothing controversial about being on the good side.
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 8/8/2025, 12:34 PM
@Lisa89 - oh no. why did you have to do that? I'll never unsee it now.
Martianhunter
Martianhunter - 8/8/2025, 12:58 PM
@DocSpock - Nothing new. Remember ancient one.
TheyDont
TheyDont - 8/8/2025, 11:39 AM
So the same reason they reduced the midget in Cap 4
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 8/8/2025, 12:28 PM
@TheyDont - i know i can be the only one disctracted whit how small she was...i Bet she Is legally a dwarf
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 8/8/2025, 12:33 PM
@Malatrova15 - she's cute.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 8/8/2025, 12:46 PM
@JacobsLadder - AND she can apply lucha libre chokeholds on muscular FBI operatives weigthing the same as a chihuahua
Whit no super soldier sérum or mutant Powers ...what a waste of Time of a movie
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 8/8/2025, 12:51 PM
@Malatrova15 - I heard it was pretty bad. I skipped it. The actress is cute though.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 11:42 AM
So, Disney is afraid to feature a strong Jewish character in a prominent role. Wow, talk about Nazi-like propaganda in their entertainment.

It’s happened before, and thanks to the Left’s non stop anti -Semitic propaganda, it’s happening again.

Remember, woke Disney censors their films for China for the money they bring in
foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 8/8/2025, 12:01 PM
@Bucky74 - the conflation of anti-zionism with anti-semitism is just as harmful as direct anti-semitism.
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 8/8/2025, 12:01 PM
@Bucky74 - some might argue they fired Gina for less lol
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 8/8/2025, 12:02 PM
@foreverintheway - 100%
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 8/8/2025, 12:06 PM
@Bucky74 - Erm, Thing was still Jewish wasn't he? It doesn't get much stronger, likewise Moon Knight was still Jewish as was the ex Black Widow in Cap4 that was getting crazy amounts of backlash and still getting a Jewish Magneto returning. I mean remind me again which side most Jews vote for in America so it isn't realy a partisan thing so much as a capitalism one as to what likely sells well to the broadest possible market or not at a given moment in time, agree with the decision or not.

I mean we are talking Marvel and Stan Lee (RIP) was Jewish and in most of the Infinity Saga films.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 12:07 PM
@foreverintheway - Disagree. It’s become conflated because it’s basically the same now it all falls under Jew hate
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 12:09 PM
@TheFinestSmack - She should have never been fired. She was describing the treatment of the right and how it starts with silencing speech
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 12:11 PM
@Apophis71 - I didn’t see BNW but didn’t they downplay the Jewish character’s role and cut her entire backstory as a Mossad agent?
alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 12:15 PM
@foreverintheway - except for the fact that most people that are anti zionists are indeed anti semetic. They just don’t say that part out loud.
alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 12:16 PM
@Bucky74 - yup
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 8/8/2025, 12:21 PM
@Bucky74 - Downplaying isn't the same as censoring when it is minor background stuff that oft gets cut for pacing issues anyway. As I say however there has if anything always been over representation of major Jewish characters at Marvel (it does only make up 0.2% of the world population) and under representation of muslims (over 25% of the global population).

If there had also been a muslim character in a significant role in this it similarly would have been downplayed or cut for the same reason IF that was the reason for a change (IF it was changed) cos capitalism. Why get caught up in the divide over current issues regarding the region of Palestine if easily avoided as not important to the actual story.

Easy choice to leave delving more into Things faith at a latter point when narratively important (such as fully exploring a love interest) and less likely to impact BO.
foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 8/8/2025, 12:22 PM
@alten2345 - thats an assumption, a bias.
foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 8/8/2025, 12:22 PM
@Bucky74 - "disagree, I much prefer to conflate the two because it makes arguing easier without having to consider any sort of nuance"
DarkeyeZ
DarkeyeZ - 8/8/2025, 12:27 PM
@Bucky74 - why does no one seem to know how to use the term "woke" properly. you guys use the term "woke" like the Smurfs use the term "smurf".
Expand your vocabulary. There are hundreds of words to describe the stupid moves Disney is making, and "woke" is not one of them.
alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 12:27 PM
@foreverintheway - keep thinking that way. The amount of antisemitism that exists under the banner anti Zionism is ridiculous.
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 8/8/2025, 12:29 PM
@Bucky74 - I was thinking the same thing.
JacobsLadder
JacobsLadder - 8/8/2025, 12:32 PM
@DarkeyeZ - I agree. I didn't find F4 "woke." It was just shit. Sue had a girl boss moment at the end but noting compared to what we've seen in the past 5 years. Making SS a girl pissed people off, but I actually thought she was the most interesting character. The movie overall sucked.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 8/8/2025, 12:40 PM
@alten2345 - Quick question, what faith is the CEO of Disney currently? I tend not to keep track but I seem to recall a lot of the anti-Disney attacks have at times been oft been about the faith or assumed religion of their execs thus oft claimed to based in antisemitism.

No clue if any of this about changes made let alone reasons is true or not but odds are changes to backstory stuff based in capitalism not any other kind of ism or just trimming anything not needed for the narrative that could detract from the focus and pacing.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 12:50 PM
@DarkeyeZ - Replacing Caucasian or male characters with female copy’s or race swapping to replace said Caucasian characters, pushing man hating feminists (here’s smiling at you Captain Marvel), and adding token gay characters while attempting to turn a traditionally male franchise into a female one to appease an agenda is all woke and exactly what Disney has done as they openly push DEI
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 8/8/2025, 12:52 PM
@DarkeyeZ - Jew hate is as popular with the Left now as it was with Nazi’s in the 1930’s and 40s.
foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 8/8/2025, 1:06 PM
@alten2345 - anti-semites will be anti-semitic under any banner. Actual anti-zionists know the difference, but pro-zionists love to conflate them thinking it a shortcut to prove their point.
alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 1:45 PM
@Apophis71 - I’m not saying that Disney anti Semitic but they know if they promote Judaism in any kind of big way, that the liberal media will be all over them, and make a big spectacle which can affect the bottom line whixh makes it about the money which in the end is what it’s always about. Doesn’t make it right though
Nomis929
Nomis929 - 8/8/2025, 11:45 AM
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Canyoublush
Canyoublush - 8/8/2025, 11:45 AM
lol Disney - “got scared.” 😆😆🤣🤣
LebaneseSpidey1
LebaneseSpidey1 - 8/8/2025, 11:52 AM
Alhamdulillah thats good 👍🏽.
#freepalestine
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 8/8/2025, 12:05 PM
@LebaneseSpidey1 -

#Justice4Aisha.

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LebaneseSpidey1
LebaneseSpidey1 - 8/8/2025, 12:09 PM
@KennKathleen -
How old was Rebecca in the Talmud/-Torah
Mr.Finkelwitz? 3yrs old?
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alten2345
alten2345 - 8/8/2025, 12:18 PM
@LebaneseSpidey1 - #freepalestinefromHamas
There I fixed it for you.
LebaneseSpidey1
LebaneseSpidey1 - 8/8/2025, 12:20 PM
@alten2345 -
*from shitrael
Fixed it for you ;)
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