Oscar-nominated actress Vanessa Kirby, known for her performances in Netflix’s “The Crown” as well as the “Mission: Impossible” and “Fast & Furious” franchises, is among the latest additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her casting as Sue Storm in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
In the highly anticipated trailer released Tuesday, fans finally see the latest adaptation of Marvel’s “first family,” first introduced in the comics in the 1960s. Kirby is joined by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing) and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch).
Kirby takes over the role from Jessica Alba, who portrayed Sue in the “Fantastic Four” movies (2005 and 2007), and Kate Mara, who played the invisible superhero in the critically panned 2015 film starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan.
Get to know Kirby and the latest installment in the MCU before “Fantastic Four: First Steps” releases in theaters July 25.
What is ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ about?
“First Steps” follows the Fantastic Four, a quartet of astronauts given extraordinary abilities courtesy of cosmic rays.
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“Whatever life throws at us, we’ll face it together. As a family,” Sue says in the trailer, which showcases each of the FF members in a peek at the adventure to come. That involves helpful robot H.E.R.B.I.E., the nifty Fantasticar, and giant, planet-devouring villain Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who’s glimpsed setting his sights on New York City.
In the upcoming film, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing “face their most daunting challenge yet,” per Marvel Studios’ synopsis.
“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),” per the synopsis. “And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.”
As predicted by fans, the film is “set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world.”
What movies, TV shows is Vanessa Kirby known for?
After playing Queen Elizbeth’s sister, Princess Margaret, in the first two seasons of Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series “The Crown,” Kirby found herself in high-profile franchises and a critically acclaimed film that launched her career to new heights with an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role.
In 2020’s “Pieces of a Woman,” the British actor plays Martha, a woman whose home birth ends in tragedy. The Netflix film follows her and her on-screen husband, played by Shia LaBeouf, as they navigate their respective grief in the aftermath.
The movie begins with a heart-wrenching, 24-minute birthing scene that caused Kirby to experience a similar anxiety she felt toward taking on the role of Princess Margaret, she told USA TODAY in 2021.
“The level of fear was just as great for both those things,” she said, explaining that she was “really panicking” about doing the member of the royal family justice. She added: “It just seemed so overwhelming that I had to just keep breathing and go, OK, one foot in front of the other. … And I definitely felt like that with Martha, too.”
She debuted as Alanna Mitsopolis, aka the arms dealer White Widow, in 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” playing opposite Tom Cruise. She reprised her role in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and is expected to return in “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” in theaters May 23.
‘Story of female courage’:Vanessa Kirby opens up about acclaimed ‘Pieces of a Woman’
Which Marvel movies will Vanessa Kirby be in?
Per IMDB, Kirby is expected to reprise her role as Sue Storm in next year’s “Avengers: Doomsday” as well as 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars,” both of which will star Robert Downey Jr. in his first post-Iron Man character, the Fantastic Four’s nemesis, Doctor Doom.
The upcoming “Avengers” films, coming again from Joe and Anthony Russo, follow “The Fantastic Four” as entries in “phase six” of the MCU.
“It’s amazing reading the comics from the ’60s all the way up and seeing this family that has traveled with so many people in life, and I feel so honored to be a part of it,” Kirby said during Marvel’s showcase at last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY
