A behind-the-scenes image from The Fantastic Four: First Steps confirmed that Marvel Studios used CGI for Vanessa Kirby's hair during one key scene involving Sue Storm. Marketing for the MCU's Phase 6 movie confirmed that Sue Storm's pregnancy plays a significant role in The Fantastic Four's story, providing fans with snippets of Reed and Sue's baby, Franklin, in official trailer footage and merchandise ahead of its release.
As it turns out, Sue's pregnancy and giving birth to Franklin Richards are important storylines in the movie's narrative, with the baby serving as the main reason why Galactus heads to Earth-828 in the first place. One memorable moment in The Fantastic Four: First Steps involves the high-stakes and zero-gravity birth scene of Sue Storm while being chased by the Silver Surfer in space, and a new hidden detail about it made it stand out even more.
Framestore shared on X several before and after images from scenes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps involving CGI, and one of them includes the moment when Sue Storm was giving birth while in deep space.
The images confirmed that Framestore used CGI for Vanessa Kirby's hair during the scene, which makes sense to make it look like they are actually in a zero-gravity environment.
The actress can be seen wearing a helmet ring to hide her actual hair for the CGI'd hair to be included later on:
The next image showed part of the finished scene where the actress' CGI hair is flowing seamlessly while they were in zero-gravity:
The use of CGI in this specific sequence is crucial in making the scene as real as possible, which would be hard to achieve without the magic of visual effects. Doing this allowed the hair to float freely due to the absence of gravity while enhancing the drama of giving birth during a pivotal moment in the film.
Directed by Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the titular team of heroes. The movie premiered in theaters on July 25, 2025. The four main heroes are confirmed to play major roles in Avengers: Doomsday.
Why Sue Storm's Giving Birth Sequence Stood Out in 'Fantastic Four'
The circumstances surrounding Sue Storm's giving birth to Franklin Richards were unique in their own way, considering the main setting and situation the team was in at that pivotal moment. This is why it is one of the much-talked-about sequences in the movie, and adding CGI into minute detail on Sue showcased more realism in the sequence.
Everyone on the team played a crucial part during Sue's birthing sequence, with Reed Richards acting as the emotional anchor, Ben Grimm helping Sue give birth, and Johnny Storm fending off an attack from a powerful threat. HERBIE, their trusted robot, even helped by standing as the ship's pilot while the chaos was happening.
There are also hidden layers in the sequence. At one point, a glimpse of Sue's rage (and dark future as Malice) was also hinted at when she yelled at Johnny to kill the Silver Surfer to protect Franklin.
From the Silver Surfer's high-speed chase to the tension within the confines of the spaceship, this sequence in The Fantastic Four: First Steps clearly had it all, and it showed how much of a cohesive unit this version of Marvel's First Family really is.
