With The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to hit theaters, Marvel is finally revisiting The Fantastic Four’s most problematic aspect of the team: the Human Torch’s destructive, womanizing tendencies. While romance has always been a part of Johnny Storm’s character, for the first few decades of his career as a superhero, he was never portrayed as a playboy who would often cross the line into despicable behavior.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Joseph Quinn spoke about how his interpretation of Johnny Storm differs from earlier versions, and from the source material. In particular, Quinn discussed moving away from the character’s problematic relationship history, and returning to the original conception of the character. Beginning in the late 1980s, Marvel saw a shift in Johnny Storm’s personality from an impulsive teen and hopeless romantic to a serial cheater whose less-than-heroic actions greatly impacted his family.
Now, Marvel and the MCU are keen to rewrite this dated perspective and restore Johnny Storm to his original comic book roots.
Marvel’s New Human Torch Actor Confirms Marvel Is Shedding Johnny Storm’s Problematic Persona
First Steps Gives The Hero A Much-Needed Revitalization
With the arrival of The Fantastic Four: Steps to the MCU, it’s clear Marvel is embodying a more classic, nostalgic approach to the film as the iconic heroes take on their original 60s esthetics and personality traits. This sentiment extends to the Human Torch as the actor for Johnny Storm, Joseph Quinn, shared his approach to the character with the news outlet, Entertainment Weekly. While the 90s to the early 2000s portrayed the human touch as a more mischievous, flirty hero, Quinn desired to take the character in a different direction. In his interview regarding Johnny Storm, Quinn explained:
He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also he’s funny
Myself and [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] were speaking about previous iterations of him and where we are culturally. He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that Sєxy these days? I don’t think so. This version of Johnny is less callous with other people’s feelings, and hopefully there’s a self-awareness about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.
Joseph Quinn’s sentiments regarding his portrayal of the Human Torch are promising, as he addressed the issues of Johnny Storm’s rather dated and over-saturated personality of the suave yet oblivious playboy. Johnny Storm is a bold and brash character as well as a romantic, but there is more depth to the Human Torch aside from his many relationships. The Fantastic Four: First Steps appears to heavily lean into the Fantastic Four’s family dynamic, which is exactly what Johnny Storm has been missing from his character, and the film presents the perfect time to revitalize Johnny’s classic personality.
The Fantastic Four’s Human Torch Wasn’t Always A Playboy, But Sadly, The Label Stuck
The Human Torch’s Womanizing Atтιтude Has Worn Out Its Welcome
Though Johnny Storm had his fair share of love interests in the early beginnings of the Fantastic Four, he never treated his girlfriends with the disregard he is so often mischaracterized as having; instead, his relationships were painted more so as unfortunate. In Fantastic Four #224, Johnny Storm’s relationship with Frankie Raye, also known as Nova, hit a snag when Frankie became the herald of Galactus, and their subsequent breakup left Johnny in shambles. In many of his earlier romances, Jonny was the one who wanted a serious relationship. However, he was constantly met with heartbreak.
Dating and marrying his best friend’s long-time love interest did not paint Johnny in the best light; it cemented the Human Torch’s reputation as the playboy of Marvel Comics, and that character trait would get much worse moving forward.
Johnny Storm’s shift from head-over-heels romantic to playboy became more apparent when he entered a relationship with Ben Grimm’s girlfriend, Alicia Masters, while Ben was in space, and the two got married in Fantastic Four #300. Dating and marrying his best friend’s long-time love interest did not paint Johnny in the best light; it cemented the Human Torch’s reputation as the playboy of Marvel Comics, and that character trait would get much worse moving forward. As it would turn out, “Alicia” was a Skrull invader named Lyja, which soured her and Johnny’s relationship and gave it problematic implications.
Johnny Storm’s Biggest Issue Persisted Throughout His Many Adaptations
Chris Evans Turned Johnny Storm Into The Fantastic Four’s Heartthrob
Eventually, the early 2000s defined the Human Torch by his more flirtatious nature, with Johnny’s playboy persona becoming a more dominating personality trait for the superhero, and his relationships with his Fantastic Four family becoming rather unserious. This transformation can be seen in The Fantastic Four (2005) adaptation of the character, where Johnny Storm is iconically played by Chris Evans. Evans’s on-screen presence portrays Johnny Storm as a coy, carefree heartthrob, whose powers frequently led to compromising situations that ended with Johnny Storm shirtless or naked.
Johnny’s reckless abandon and promiscuous qualities are often played for laughs; however, this evolution skews the Human Torch into a one-dimensional character.
While Chris Evans’ portrayal of Johnny Storm has its moments, and he does a superb job of capturing Johnny Storm’s taunting and somewhat irritating brotherly personality, the version of Johnny that is more pushy and overly Sєxualized is undoubtedly a product of its time. In both film adaptations and comics, Johnny’s reckless abandon and promiscuous qualities are often played for laughs; however, this evolution skews the Human Torch into a one-dimensional character. Johnny’s playboy persona ultimately and quite literally damages his familial relationships and overshadows his more heroic qualities.
Johnny Storm’s Womanizing Nature Cost The Fantastic Four Peace with Doctor Doom
Marvel Highlighted Just How Reckless The Human Torch Can Be
One of the most infamous moments of Johnny Storm’s careless promiscuity becoming the Fantastic Four’s most fatal flaw occurs in Fantastic Four (Vol.6) #33, by Dan Slott and R.B. Silva, amid the wedding of Doctor Doom. In light of Doctor Victor von Doom’s marriage, Doom was prepared to make amends with Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four, while inviting the heroes to his wedding, as it is Latverian custom to forgive old rivalries. However, before Doom and his bride, Zora, exchanged their vows, she admitted that she had been intimate with Johnny Storm the night before the wedding.
This betrayal sends Doctor Doom into a rage, calling for the execution of the Fantastic Four, and instantly ends any potential for peace the Fantastic Four had with their long-standing nemesis. Though the prospect of lasting peace with Doom was unlikely, this monumental fumble on Johnny Storm’s part highlights how damaging Johnny Storm’s womanizing nature is to not just himself but his family, and on an even larger scale, the world. What was initially introduced as a comedic character flaw gradually grew into a persisting problem within the Fantastic Four franchise that came to a head at Doctor Doom’s wedding.
Johnny Storm Is More Than Just A H๏τ-Headed Playboy, And Marvel Is Finally Showing It
Marvel Is Pulling Back On Human Torch’s Most Infuriating Flaw
Though it has become his recognizable quality, the Human Torch wasn’t initially introduced as a playboy, with Johnny Storm originally taking up the archetype of the H๏τ-headed, yet lovable brother to Sue Storm. Johnny’s bold nature and romances will always be a core part of his character, but Johnny is most compelling when he is allowed to be a hero instead of a loose cannon to the Fantastic Four. Johnny’s camaraderie with other heroes such as Spider-Man, Reed Richards, and Ben Grimm is genuinely endearing when his promiscuity and selfishness are not at the forefront of his motivations.
Despite Johnny Storm’s playboy atтιтude having shown to be a catastrophic issue that consistently plagues The Fantastic Four, it has become intertwined with his character as his time as a womanizer greatly outweighs the time he wasn’t one. This quality of Johnny Storm has slowly become a burden to Marvel’s first superhero family, as Marvel is making gradual strides to step back from this outdated disposition. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel is reigning in the Human Torch by reviving his more classic demeanor, as the Fantastic Four as a whole return to their roots as a superhero family.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Fantastic Four
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Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
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The Fantastic Four
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Fantastic Four
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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Summary
The Fantastic Four is a superhero franchise centered on Marvel Comics’ first family of superheroes. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the team made its comic book debut in 1961 and quickly became a cornerstone of Marvel’s success. The franchise follows four astronauts—Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm—who gain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation. Over the years, Fantastic Four has been adapted into several live-action films, animated series, and video games. The films have seen multiple reboots, with varying levels of success, and are now set to be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with a new film slated for release in 2025.
