Vanessa Kirby reinvents Sue Storm, talks about motherhood, baby co-stars and Robert Downey Jr.

Mint

2 days ago

Vanessa Kirby is earning widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Sue Storm in Matt Shakman's highly anticipated 'Fantastic Four: First Steps', and in a recent interview with Variety, the British actress opened up about the role, the lessons she drew from it, and the tight-knit atmosphere on set.
Kirby, known for her emotionally grounded performances, revealed that what drew her to Sue Storm was the strength and complexity the character embodies.
"Yes, definitely," she said when asked if Sue's leadership qualities played a role in her decision. 'It's a testament to Matt Shakman's vision for her, and wanting to be faithful to the comics. It was such a pleasure to go back and read Sue from 1961.'
She added,"It always felt like, 'How can we be as true to what these incredible artists have imagined over the years?' She always felt like a total mixture of so many things: obviously, deeply maternal and deeply loving and incredibly steady, but also fierce."
The actress dove deep into Sue's comic book roots, particularly the early depictions from 1961. For Kirby, portraying a character often misunderstood as passive was a chance to explore the fierceness of maternal strength. 'To give birth, you have to be completely, totally fierce,' she noted. 'That's what motherhood is.'
Filming with babies, especially during emotionally intense scenes, presented its own set of challenges. Kirby revealed that the role of Franklin was played by real infants throughout the film, with one standout baby named Ada becoming a beloved presence on set.
She said, '100% of the film was shot with a real baby. Our lead baby, Ada, a little girl, was just heaven. We had lots of other babies who were acting with us and helping us. We got really attached to them, and they were so part of our journey. It almost became weird if they weren't there.'
'Also, it's challenging. The speech that Sue has was a night shoot. It was really late and we were shooting in winter in London, and all the babies cried at exactly the same line. I thought, 'Am I delivering something so bad that they're crying at the same moment?' Babies are the most natural actors in the world,' she added.
Kirby also spoke warmly of her experience working with Robert Downey Jr., who is set to portray Dr Doom in future instalments. 'Robert's never not been on set. He's always there. He is our leader. We call him our Godfather. He's looked after us. It's such a joy working with the Russos and him, because they've had such deep collaboration for so long.,' she shared, emphasising his support and leadership.
With 'Fantastic Four', Kirby not only redefines a beloved superheroine but also brings emotional depth and quiet strength to a new generation's Sue Storm.