Marvel Studios has assembled a, well, fantastic cast for Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four. After putting himself on the map with Stranger Things, A Quiet Place: Day One star Joseph Quinn will take on the role of Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch.
Men's Health recently caught up with the actor and asked if he's already working on getting into superhero shape for his MCU role.
"I’ve been training for a little while now. We’ve got another few weeks, and I’ve got a wonderful trainer named Tim who’s brilliant, and is making me do all the things I don’t want to do," Quinn explained. "We’re not going for anything too enormous, physically, he just needs to look the part, and slowly, slowly, we’re getting there."
Johnny isn't meant to be as physically imposing as, say, Captain America but Quinn is following in the footsteps of Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer star Chris Evans (along with Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan who played the Torch in the 2015 reboot).
Asked about that, the actor said, "I haven’t gotten in touch with them - maybe I should. It’s important to claim these opportunities as your own. I think they both did incredible jobs, and I’m definitely aware of how much this role means to a lot of people, and how successful they were in portraying him."
"I think it’s important to come at this with reverence for the people that have played it before, but an intention to make it one’s own."
Something that differentiates the Fantastic Four from superhero teams like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy is the fact they're an actual family. The Human Torch takes great pleasure in tormenting The Thing and Quinn is eager to explore that dynamic.
"He’s an inherently funny man," he says of Ebon Moss-Bachrach. "We will have a period of rehearsals, and that will be an opportunity for us all to work on the specific dynamics between the four and beyond."
"I’m very excited at the prospect of working with Ebon. I think he’s amazing, and will definitely bring something very unique to his role; the dynamic is the thing that is the most important aspect of these four characters. I couldn’t think of another three actors that could being as much vigor and life to these other characters, and I’ll do my best to do the same."
Finally, Quinn weighed in on The Fantastic Four's first teaser image showing him and the rest of the movie's leads in a '60s-style setting.
"It was great! It was a really lovely way to announce it - it was very sweet, and people responded well to it. It’s a little surreal, obviously. I’d be remiss to not acknowledge the fact that this stuff is something that people feel very strongly about."
"People care about these characters, and what heroism means to people, and that it can provide some light in dark times, and examples as well of how to conduct oneself, without trying to get too lofty," he continued. "It’s a responsibility that I’m taking very seriously, and we all are. And we’re also going to have a lot of fun with it."
The Fantastic Four is set to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.