Summary
Marvel Studios will be looking to dominate the box office this summer now thatThe Fantastic Four: First Stepshasbeen released worldwide. Fans will get to see the iconic superheroes in all their glory, but there will be a twist this time around in comparison to previous live-action versions of the characters, as Sue Storm is pregnant.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepswill tell the story of Sue and Reed Richards having a son, Franklin, who is expected to play a big part in the movie and the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond. However, while that will be an exciting storyline for audiences to see unfold, it did present its challenges for Vanessa Kirby.
Kirby is set to make herMCU debut as part of this film, taking on the iconic Invisible Woman, and the trailers alone have showcased her utilizing those powers. However,a lot of the attention has focused on her pregnancy, giving women a moment of empowerment, which is something fresh for the franchise.However, it led to Kirby pushing herself physically due to the fake belly she had to wear, which is very different from how she feels now that she’s legitimately pregnant, as she explained onLate Night with Seth Meyers.
“Essentially, the fake belly is like a foam thing. When it’s a foam, it feels very light and a bit silly. So I kept saying to Flick, who looks after my costume, ‘I want more. It needs to be heavier.’ So we would try all these different things and eventually she kind of put heavy rice packets in the belly and it got so heavy, [and] I got really bad backache,” she said. “And actually it’s nothing like this. This is … way lighter. So, I gave myself backache for no reason at all.”
In a rare example of a character and real life combining, Kirby is currently pregnant while she promotes the upcoming Marvel Studios movie, which has given her the chance to compare how things feel. It has also meant that she has acted while pregnant aspart ofAvengers: Doomsday, with filming for that blockbuster already underway at this point. She previously admitted that it’s the “coolest thing” to be filming a superhero movie while pregnant, creating a dynamic that’s different from how it would usually unfold.
Storm being pregnant inThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsisn’t just being done for the sake of it, either, as there is going to be a reason behind it. Franklin Richards might only be a baby, but his potential threat is something that Galactus is very aware of, and that will be fleshed out in full detail throughout the movie. Meanwhile,it will also completely change who Storm is as a character.Fans will get to see her as a mother, and that’s going to be a powerful storyline in itself, as they watch how she and Reed adapt to being parents and the impact it has on them as individuals, their dynamic, and the overall storyline.
The Fantastic Four: First Stepshas a lot of anticipation surrounding it, not just because Kirby is acting pregnant throughout it. Marvel Studios has heavily promoted the film, marking the start of Marvel’s next phase and the continuation of the build-up to Avengers: Doomsday. It’s a film that Marvel Studios is putting a lot of pressure on to deliver, not just in terms of the box office results, but also the overall response. However, the addition of an emotional storyline, such as motherhood, might just be the thing that makesThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsfeel special.
