Summary
Joseph Quinn,who will take on the role of the hotheaded Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the highly anticipated Marvel movie,The Fantastic Four: First Steps,impressed the film’s director so much inGame of Thronesthat Matt Shakman made sure to work with him again.The upcoming MCU movieincludes a huge cast of familiar names like Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, but this will be the first time Quinn will step into the shoes of the popular character, who was previously played by Chris Evans.
Quinn recently said that his version ofJohnny Storm won’t be the same this time aroundfrom who Evans portrayed, and instead of being a womanizer, as that likely won’t go over well in this day and age, his version of Johnny will be less callous towards other people’s feelings, and more “self-aware about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.“Fantastic Four’s director, Shakman, seemingly agreed with this “smart” approach of Quinn’s, and likes the idea that Johnny isn’t just this dimwitted hothead with a brash attitude. Upon seeing himself in the tight superhero Lycra suit for the first time, Quinn humorously said at Megacon 2025 that he “needed to do some sit-ups,” but he had been enjoying the training aspect of the role. While Marvel devotees wait for the cinematic release ofThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsnext month, some fans may have forgotten Quinn’s role inGame of Thronesthat led him to star in the superhero movie.
Joseph Quinn Impressed Fantastic Four Director With His Game of Thrones Character
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (viaComicbook),The Fantastic Four: First Stepsdirector Matt Shakmanfirst laid eyes on Joseph Quinn when he starred in a small role inGame of ThronesSeason 7, Episode 4, “The Spoils of War”, playing a guard named Koner. Shakman directed the episodesThe Spoils of Warand alsoEastwatchfor the highly popular HBO series, and this is where he came across Quinn, who Shakman thought was very “impressive” and made a note to work with the, at the time, relatively unknown actor.
For those who may have missed Quinn’s part, as the show contained so many new and upcoming actors, he was the guard who met Arya at the gates of Winterfell, where the daughter of Ned Stark had been presumed dead, and the guards did not believe that it was actually her, and did not allow her in to see her sister, Sansa, telling her to “f-ck off.” Quinn, recalling his part as Koner, said, “I did a kind of cough and a spit,” and even though Quinn might not have thought that was inspiring enough to secure any major acting roles down the line, Shakman had a different view.
“I was impressed by him and thought, ‘Someday I’ll work with him again,’” said Shakman. “I was interested in a Johnny Storm who was more than just a ladies’ man and an adrenaline junkie. I was looking for somebody who could be a dreamer. And I think Joe is an incredibly alive, spontaneous actor.” So, it seems as though Quinn’s small role inGame of Throneswasn’t so little after all, as the director remembered him years later and thought that he had the right talent that could be incorporated into the character of Johnny inThe Fantastic Fourfranchise. Many fans will mostly remember Quinn for his role asEddie Munson inStranger Things, Eric inA Quiet Place: Day One,as well as Emperor Geta inGladiator II,but at only 30 years old, Quinn’s career is certainly seeing him make his mark on Hollywood.
