Joseph Quinn’s Marvel ride is just getting started, but it’s starting off with a huge bang. You might remember Quinn from Stranger Things, but 2025 saw him step into the MCU spotlight as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. That was his first real taste of Marvel magic. According to him, filming Fantastic Four felt like a tight-knit, almost private club. “We had the solace of the other three actors on Fantastic Four and it felt very contained… It just felt like a very personal and special experience,” Quinn said. But Avengers: Doomsday? Very different, it seems.
In 2026, Quinn’s back in the Marvel universe, this time joining the mammoth cast of Avengers: Doomsday. This isn’t just another Marvel flick. It’s a full-blown MCU crossover explosion, featuring veterans and new faces alike. Quinn’s taking the leap from that intimate Fantastic Four vibe into a giant room full of legends. He pointed out in an interview, “You’re dealing with seasoned professionals that have been doing this for ages. So it’s very kind of encouraging and reassuring to kind of know these characters— I’ve seen Thor in films. I’ve seen lots of people who maybe I can’t mention in films. And be alongside them is very exciting. Oh—spoilers. Scary.”
You can’t blame him for being a bit in awe. The cast for Doomsday reads like a Marvel fan’s dream list. Chris Hemsworth is back as Thor, alongside Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, and even Robert Downey Jr., returning not as the hero, but as the villain Doctor Doom.
Quinn doesn’t just admire the work of these MCU vets from afar. He’s been soaking up their advice. “Veterans have been giving us very sage advice and giving us their time,” he revealed, sharing how his Fantastic Four crew has been spending time with other Avengers cast members, prepping for the massive ensemble movie shooting now in the UK.
The one who really left a mark? Robert Downey Jr. Quinn called him “an amazing leader… so generous… hilarious, and a remarkable actor. There’s no shock as to why he is where he is.”
Before stepping into Marvel, Quinn got a pep talk from Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia in the Black Panther films and worked with him on A Quiet Place: Day One (2024). “She said that I’m going to have a blast and to enjoy it. She was very helpful when I was considering all of that stuff,” Quinn shared with People. That kind of insider encouragement seems to have made the MCU leap a little less daunting.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026. But Marvel’s not stopping there. Another Avengers blockbuster, Avengers: Secret Wars, is already scheduled for December 2027. If you thought the MCU was running out of steam, think again. Joseph Quinn and his Human Torch are just heating things up.
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