Vanessa Kirby Being Cast As Fantastic Four’s Sue Storm?
Vanessa Kirby has finally responded to rumors she is in the running to play Invisible Woman, saying it would be "an honor."
Superhero casting rumors are constantly swirling around Hollywood like a tempest, and now according to ComicBook.com, actress Vanessa Kirby is the newest name to get caught in the gossip tornado. The 35-year-old is currently rumored to be in the running for the role of Sue Storm in the MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. Vanessa—no relation to the late, great co-creator of the Fantastic Four, Jack Kirby—has finally weighed in on the possibility of joining Marvel’s First Family, describing the possibility of playing the Invisible Woman as “an honor.”
Vanessa Kirby was asked about the Fantastic Four casting rumors during a recent interview to promote Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning, Part One. The actress’s M:I co-star—and Marvel veteran— Pom Klementieff was also on hand to address the rumor. The Guardians of the Galaxy star admitted enthusiastically that she had heard all about Kirby’s potential MCU role.
Klementieff couldn’t help herself from excitedly blurting out, “We could work together!”
In stark contrast to her co-star’s overly exuberant outburst, Vanessa Kirby sat completely calm, offering no opinion on the potential role beyond her initial statement. Frustratingly for fans—and entertainment reporters—”It would be an honor,” isn’t a confirmation that Kirby is playing Storm, nor is it a denial.
The statement does, however, imply that Vanessa is at least open to the idea of playing Marvel’s first female superhero.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created Susan “Sue” Storm as a way to make sure their first team of superheroes, The Fantastic Four, wasn’t a complete sausage fest. Initially saddled with the dismissive handle “The Invisible Girl,” Sue wasn’t much more than a nursemaid to her male companions, but over time the character evolved into one of the most important members of the team and adopted the much more fitting title of The Invisible Woman.
If cast as the force-field generating, hero Vanessa Kirby would join Rebecca Staab, Jessica Alba, and Kate Mara as the only actresses to portray Sue in live action. Staab played the character in Roger Corman’s unreleased but easily viewable 1994 cheese-fest The Fantastic Four, while Alba played Storm in both of Tim Story’s mid-’00s Fantastic Four films. Kate Mara had the unfortunate distinction of playing the Invisible Woman in what is widely regarded as the worst Marvel film of all time, 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot.
Even if Vanessa Kirby is game to play the Invisible Woman, she’s going to have a bit of competition for the role. Lily James (Pam & Tommy), Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout), Phillipa Soo (Hamilton), Saoirse Ronan (See How They Run), Jodie Comer (Free Guy), and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) are all names that have been mentioned in conjunction with the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.
Vanessa Kirby isn’t the only one that’s addressed the casting rumors surrounding the new Fantastic Four. Director Matt Shakman has also been asked about the potential cast for his new film. “I have no early answers for anyone about casting,” the director admitted when asked. Shakman did, however, confess his love for the Fantastic Four and expressed how important it was to “get it right,” when it comes to the cast.
As we previously reported, Marvel Studios has had to shuffle around its upcoming release schedule due in part to the ongoing WGA writer’s strike. Fantastic Four is tentatively scheduled for a May 2, 2025 release but there is a good chance that date will change at some point in the near future.
