THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Producer Appears To Confirm That Sue Storm Will Be The Team's Leader

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Producer Appears To Confirm That Sue Storm Will Be The Team's Leader

The Fantastic Four: First Steps producer Grant Curtis and stars Vanessa Kirby and Pedro Pascal discuss Sue Storm's role in the movie, and it sounds a lot like the Invisible Woman will lead the team...

By JoshWilding - Jun 08, 2025 07:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four
Source: Collider

Traditionally, the Fantastic Four doesn't have a leader, though Mister Fantastic has frequently led the charge on the page. The Invisible Woman has filled a similar role, particularly in recent comic book runs by writers like Dan Slott and Ryan North. 

Sue Storm desperately needs an overhaul on screen, especially as she was largely relegated to being eye candy in the Fantastic Four movies from the mid-2000s. While Kate Mara's take was an improvement, her work was overshadowed by a questionable wig from reshoots.

Talking to Collider, The Fantastic Four: First Steps producer Grant Curtis promised that the MCU will deliver a multifaceted Sue Storm, who is potentially portrayed as the leader of this team (or, at the very least, the reboot's lead character). 

"If you do go back through the comics, you realize that Sue Storm is arguably the leader of the Fantastic Four, because without Sue Storm, everything falls apart," he explained. "We had the desire to date aesthetically, but in terms of character and treatment, who should be front and center, it's like, hey, let's tell the best story possible."

The site also spoke with Vanessa Kirby, who recalled laughing with Reed Richards actor Pedro Pascal when they read a comic from the 1960s that saw him buy Sue a dress to stop her from complaining. She similarly hopes to modernise the character, but didn't want to make Sue a "bad boss bitch." Instead, she set out to find a "genuine feminine soulfulness."

Discussing Pascal's support during that process, Kirby said, "I've never had a male actor as a counterpart who's been so utterly equal and supportive of the relationship, but also the female character opposite him. I just feel so grateful every day to have an actor like Pedro who is so generous."

He responded by sharing, "I love being led in a way. What you may identify as generosity for me, it just isn't. I'm only inspired by...I guess just powerful women have been the thing that has gotten me through being alive."

"So, to have the opportunity to stand by one, to learn from one — just a partner, it's partnership; it’s male and female, but it's also just a kind of transcendent sort of partnership in the work and in the characters," Pascal continued. "And, so I don't really know what the f*** I'm gonna do without you [Vanessa] honestly."

These remarks will generate the expected complaints, but it's clear that everyone involved is following the comics. Pascal and Kirby, meanwhile, appear to have devoted a lot of thought and time to getting this relationship right on screen. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' story looks set to revolve around Sue, largely because she will be pregnant with (and ultimately give birth to) Franklin Richards. The Invisible Woman has been established as the most powerful member of this team for decades, so putting her front and centre feels like the right decision for the team's introduction in the MCU. 

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.

Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have been cast in mystery roles. Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom is rumoured to appear, though that's surely a given with Avengers: Doomsday on the way.

Director Matt Shakman worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenplay, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) later coming on board for a final polish.

The movie is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.

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UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 6/8/2025, 7:13 AM
Somewhere in the distance, you-know-who is already foaming at the mouth lol...
lvcl
lvcl - 6/8/2025, 9:27 AM
@UltimaRex -

Disney WOKE strikes back!

This movies IS not about the FF, they are The wokenstastic Four!
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 6/8/2025, 9:36 AM
@lvcl - With your permission; I'd like to use that one: "The WOKEtastic Four!" 😄
AllsGood
AllsGood - 6/8/2025, 7:15 AM
When you click on his name this comes up.

Unkown ComicBookMovie.com User

User Comment Image
epc1122
epc1122 - 6/8/2025, 7:23 AM
@AllsGood - thank goodness! I’m surprised it took this long but at the same time, in the past, banned users would get new usernames. I can think of one person who has had about four or five different names.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 6/8/2025, 7:33 AM
@epc1122 - I wasn't Booted I Cancelled my DOUBLED Account on my own. Once you Cancel your Account you can't turn it back on. I had to create new account AllsGood :)

I already covered this with Nate, Make America and AllsNot.
epc1122
epc1122 - 6/8/2025, 7:56 AM
@AllsGood - to be perfectly honest, I was absolutely not referring to you. Without using names, they’re a smarter version of makeamerica and would prob get a long with him but they’re a huge fan of gunn’s version of Superman so he can’t stand makemaerica either.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 6/8/2025, 8:04 AM
@epc1122 - Alls Good :)
Vigor
Vigor - 6/8/2025, 9:04 AM
@epc1122 - twistedmedia? Origame?
epc1122
epc1122 - 6/8/2025, 9:11 AM
@Vigor - are those posters? If so, then no. Don’t want to start something but this poster has had like four names bc they’ve been banned. They have a ton of knowledge on comics but never sees the other persons point of view and always thinks they’re right. Reminds me of my uncle lol
Nolanite
Nolanite - 6/8/2025, 7:26 AM
There they go jacking shit up.

They need to face the facts that this movie is going to fail miserably. Sure it will have a good opening weekend but it will have a huge and significant drop off in it's second weekend.

Another flop for Marvel and Disney.

I'll be too busy watching Superman many times.

May Marvel rot in hell.

Nolanite out
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/8/2025, 8:18 AM
@Nolanite - I think Superman is gonna have an even bigger opening weekend, mostly down to the dog and the Gunn-ness of it all. But with it being too much of a parody (due to unexplained rando superpeople) I think it will have a massive drop off and the rest of the DCU will probably continue to flop DCEU-style.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 6/8/2025, 9:27 AM
@Nolanite - Marvel Studios, The Fantastic Four: First Steps predict a strong $125m-136M+ debut.
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 6/8/2025, 9:32 AM
@Nolanite - Yeah but, I bet Josh is gonna' LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it nonetheless! His opening-weekend "review" will be gushing! 😍❤️😍
IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 6/8/2025, 7:37 AM
Is that why they made Reed a twit in Multiverse of Madness too?
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 6/8/2025, 7:40 AM
......maybe they'll get it right in the next reboot
User Comment Image
Robby
Robby - 6/8/2025, 7:43 AM
Gotta give the libs something
Reginator
Reginator - 6/8/2025, 7:47 AM
The more that comes out about this movie, the less I want to see it.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 6/8/2025, 7:53 AM
New cbm accounts are being created as we speak to complain about this…
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 6/8/2025, 8:03 AM
@MisterBones -

AntiWokePatri - SUE STORM WOKE GIRL BOSS MAKE HER GAY AND LAME LOL GO WOK GOE BROK LOL
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 6/8/2025, 8:08 AM
No wonder they went right to Galactus and made him look right because this movie really has nothing else to sell it. Imaging if the went with Moleman like some have suggested? That movie wouldn't pass the Fox movies in box office.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/8/2025, 8:10 AM
This is exactly why I don't want them touching the X-men, not until the ideologues are long gone.
User Comment Image
Vigor
Vigor - 6/8/2025, 9:01 AM
@HashTagSwagg - storm is a leader of the xmen. Have you short circuited ?
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/8/2025, 9:07 AM
@Vigor - After Cyclops.
Vigor
Vigor - 6/8/2025, 9:18 AM
@HashTagSwagg - xmen have also had A twams and B teams
Blue and gold. With male and female leads. It's just genitalia dude

BTW how did you feel about the new xmwn 97 show? I think they really knocked cyclops out the park in that iteration
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 6/8/2025, 9:31 AM
@Vigor - User Comment Image
Matchesz
Matchesz - 6/8/2025, 9:35 AM
@Vigor - Uh, Mystique is the leader of the X men what are you guys even on?
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/8/2025, 9:39 AM
@Vigor - With male and female leads." yes, but thats not my issue. You don't bring in your B team when you haven't even established your A team.

As for 97, other than feeling a little too rushed at times and turning every relationship into dishonest partners, I think 97 was a weclomed fluke. Getting rid of the one writer (possible pervert) who treated Cyclops the way he should be treated and replacing him with the guy who had the chance to write literally anything he could imagine with these rich characters and the best he could come up with was "lets do everything a popular male character has done but this time it's with a female" is going to ruin the good will that season 1 created.
AllsNotGood
AllsNotGood - 6/8/2025, 8:12 AM
It's only natural. Reed was never leading material plus Paedo Pascal is a simp weak streak of piss
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 6/8/2025, 8:21 AM
“Sue Storm is arguably the leader”

I mean, you can argue that anyone is the leader of any team. But there’s a reason Reed is “Mr. Fantastic” and not “The Stretchy Man”.

I’m not against an interpretation in which Sue is the leader, but don’t gaslight me lol.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 6/8/2025, 9:16 AM
@SheepishOne - It basicaly sounds about the same as the OG Avengers where technicaly CptA is the leader but many could argue Stark is the leader and RDJ gets more screentime/focus.
KaptainKhaos
KaptainKhaos - 6/8/2025, 8:32 AM
Always has been
thespiderkat
thespiderkat - 6/8/2025, 8:32 AM
I think people are more worried about Feige and his minions giving her an insufferable “middle name’s Sue, first name’s Mary” personality than they are about her being the leader…
Matchesz
Matchesz - 6/8/2025, 8:44 AM
Women need good role models in the movies cause in reality they have AOC, Jasmine Crocket, Nancy Pelosi, Kathleen Kennedy, Amber Heard, Black Lively, Leticia James, Meg Thee Stallion, Cardi B
Vigor
Vigor - 6/8/2025, 8:59 AM
@Matchesz - shocking you didn't include MJG here. Or maybe i shouldn't be shocked haha
TK420
TK420 - 6/8/2025, 9:25 AM
@Vigor - If you can find ANYBODY in the US government who is behaving like an adult it would be a monumental accomplishment.
UXASIS
UXASIS - 6/8/2025, 8:44 AM
Hmmmm, are there any comic book F4 fans here? (I'm not).

I've read a few (frightful action was it called?), but it always seemed to me, that Reed was the brainy "dictator."

I'm not sure, if Sue was always just ''the wife with the strongest powers.''

But I find it stupid, that just because someone is the sister of one guy, and having invisible R-rated scenes with the other, ergo being the connective core, that doesn't give you leadership.

So I guess they just went the old-school way - we have the tactician, the bruiser, the hot-headed guy who dies first....

Has Susan changed in comics since like....the 60s, or would she be nothing without Reed?

Again, I'm just asking for perspective of longtime F4 fans. I'm actually not a fan, because family action is not kinda for me....
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/8/2025, 8:58 AM
@UXASIS - oh , she’s definitely changed in the comics since the 60’s

She kind of does keep everything from falling apart in the comics and is the glue that holds everything and everyone together so this is accurate to an extent
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