Joseph Quinn is currently smashing it in Hollywood. After making a name for himself primarily on television, his upcoming movie roles include this year’s A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2.
As of Valentine’s Day this year, when the film’s whole cast was announced, he’s also been confirmed as playing Johnny Storm, AKA the Human Torch, in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four, which is due for release in July 2025.
It’s an interesting casting, but there’s no doubt the English actor can pull it off. Here are five of Joseph Quinn’s past roles that prove he’ll make a superb Johnny Storm for the MCU’s Fantastic Four.
Dickensian
Dickensian is a 20-part British drama series aired on the BBC in 2015 and 2016. The series unites characters from several Charles Dickens novels in a Victorian London neighborhood. It follows Bleak House’s Inspector Bucket as he investigates the murder of A Christmas Carol’s Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner.
Joseph Quinn plays Arthur Havisham, Miss Havisham’s rebellious younger brother from Great Expectations. It’s a brilliant, intelligent series with a beautiful set, and Quinn is excellent in his role. It’ll stand him in good stead for playing the rebellious younger brother of Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four.
Streaming on Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.
Les Misérables
Les Misérables is, of course, Victor Hugo’s iconic 1862 French historical novel. It’s been adapted countless times over the years, and, in this case, the BBC adapted it for a six-episode British series that aired in 2018 and 2019. It follows the illusive Jean Valjean as he evades capture by the determined Inspector Javert.
Joseph Quinn plays Enjolras, the leader of the fictional association of revolutionary French republican students known as the Friends of the ABC. He’s exceptionally charismatic but fearsome when necessary, which sounds uncannily like Johnny Storm, and Quinn perfectly plays him.
Streaming on BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.
Make Up (2019)
The British psychological thriller Make Up follows a young couple as the woman, Ruth, moves to a wintry caravan park in St Ives, Cornwall, to live with her longtime boyfriend, Tom. While there, Ruth meets another young woman, Jade, who she gets increasingly close to.
Joseph Quinn plays Tom, and Stefanie Martini plays Ruth, and they’re both fantastic. Their chemistry is incredible, emphatically displaying how Quinn can build solid relationships and camaraderie with fellow cast members, which will be important in The Fantastic Four. Tom is nothing like Johnny Storm, but Quinn’s performance in the role is so good that it shows he can turn his hand to anything.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a sci-fi horror drama series following the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between Earth and a hostile alternate dimension called the Upside Down.
This is Joseph Quinn’s most iconic role to date by far. He appears in 2022’s season four as Eddie Munson. Like Johnny Storm believes himself to be, Eddie Munson is effortlessly cool – only he doesn’t know it. He has a big, goofy personality that Quinn portrayed brilliantly, which will transfer perfectly to the larger-than-life Johnny Storm.
Streaming on Netflix.
Hoard (2023)
British movie Hoard chronicles the relationship between a young girl, Maria, and her mother, Cynthia, first in the 1980s when the girl was seven, then in the 1990s when she was placed in foster care. The title refers to the hoarding nature of the mother, who sifts through bins for garbage she deems worthwhile.
Joseph Quinn plays Michael, one of the former foster children of Michelle, Maria’s foster mother. Michael is a lovable loser, which is what Johnny Storm is at heart, despite his fame and superpowers. Without his fame and superpowers, Michael is exactly what Johnny Storm would be, meaning there’ll undoubtedly be some surprising similarities between Quinn’s performance here and his role in The Fantastic Four.
This movie is not yet streaming.
