Vanessa Kirby Reveals She Got Her Marvel Role Without Even Auditioning

Vanessa Kirby didn’t need to read a single line to become part of the Marvel world. The British actress, best known for The Crown and the Mission: Impossible movies, landed the role of Sue Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps without going through a regular audition. She talked all about it during her recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz.

According to Kirby, it all started with a lunch meeting with director Matt Shakman. They talked about comic books and where the story would go. That conversation alone was enough.

“Yeah. I met Matt Shakman. We had an awesome lunch and we talked a lot about the comics, particularly the early ’60s, which was really a wonderful thing to be asked to go and do,” Kirby said. “So we had a really deep discussion about that, and then I met Kevin and Louis at Marvel. Then the next day they asked me to do it. So no, there was no audition.”

She said she’s more than ready to stick around, even for the next decade, and that she loves the character of Sue. It’s a long-term commitment, but Kirby seems excited about being part of something this big.

Right now, she’s filming Avengers: Doomsday, where she returns as Sue Storm. And if that weren’t impressive enough, she’s doing it while pregnant.

“I’m loving it. Absolutely loving it. It’s been a complete privilege and they’ve been amazing, you know, and as you know, I’m pregnant, and it’s been the coolest thing to be shooting an Avengers movie while pregnant,” she said. “They’ve been utterly amazing — the Russos and Kevin and the whole team.”

She also spoke about working with Robert Downey Jr., who’s coming back to the MCU in a huge way, this time as Doctor Doom. Kirby had nothing but kind words.

“I mean, this guy — beyond, beyond. He’s the most incredible human being. Soulful, deep, kind. He’s been an amazing leader to us considering we’re the newbies,” she said. “And he’s doing the most amazing work.”

Fantastic Four: First Steps kicked off Phase Six of the MCU. The film has a cool retro vibe, with a setting inspired by the 1960s. In the story, the team takes on Galactus, a massive cosmic threat. The movie stars Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Julia Garner, and more.

Directed by Matt Shakman, the film premiered at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on July 21, 2025, and will hit U.S. theaters on July 25. It’s already getting strong reviews, and Marvel is moving forward with a sequel.

Vanessa Kirby may not have auditioned, but from the way she talks about it, this role feels like the perfect fit.

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