You’ve seen the photos by now. The shimmering green dress at CCXP Mexico, the hand resting gently on a unmistakable bump, and that glowing "I have a secret" look that only a soon-to-be mother really carries. Honestly, if you were scrolling through social media in mid-2025, it was impossible to miss. Vanessa Kirby, the woman who gave us a masterclass in grief in Pieces of a Woman and royal defiance in The Crown, was officially starting a new chapter.
But here’s the thing that makes the Vanessa Kirby pregnancy so fascinating: it wasn't just a personal milestone. It was a weird, meta moment where her real life collided head-on with her biggest career role to date. While the world was watching her belly grow, she was busy filming Fantastic Four: First Steps, playing Sue Storm—who just happens to be pregnant in the movie.
The Red Carpet Reveal Heard 'Round the World
It happened on May 31, 2025. Vanessa stepped out in Mexico City for a Fantastic Four panel, and she didn't need a press release to say a word. The outfit did the talking. She wore a form-fitting, shimmering gown that showcased her pregnancy perfectly. No hiding under baggy sweaters. No "is she or isn't she" tabloid guessing games. Just a very clear, very public debut.
Fans immediately lost it. The timing was almost too perfect. In the upcoming Marvel film, Sue Storm and Reed Richards (played by Pedro Pascal) are expecting their first child, Franklin Richards. People started joking that Marvel’s marketing department was getting a little too dedicated to the bit. "Is this method acting?" was the question of the day.
Actually, Vanessa later joked about this on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She mentioned how people genuinely thought it might be some kind of elaborate stunt for the movie. It wasn't. It was just, as she put it, "crazy timing."
Fake Bumps vs. Real Life: The Backache Struggle
One of the funniest details to come out of this whole period was Vanessa’s comparison between her on-screen pregnancy and her real one. When you're filming a big-budget Marvel movie, the costumes are intense. To play a pregnant Sue Storm, the costume department gave her a foam prosthetic belly.
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Vanessa, being the dedicated actor she is, felt the foam was too light. It didn't feel "real." She kept asking the costume team to make it heavier. They eventually stuffed it with rice packets to give it some weight.
The result? She gave herself a massive backache for months.
Fast forward to her actual Vanessa Kirby pregnancy, and she realized she’d overdone it on set. She told reporters that her real bump was actually much lighter and easier to carry than the "weighted" version she’d insisted on wearing for the film. Talk about a "be careful what you wish for" moment.
The Man by Her Side: Paul Rabil
While Vanessa is notoriously private—seriously, she’s like a vault when it comes to her personal life—we do know who the dad is. She’s been with Paul Rabil since around late 2022. If you aren't into sports, you might not know him, but he’s basically the LeBron James of lacrosse. He co-founded the Premier Lacrosse League and is a massive deal in that world.
They went public on Instagram in 2023, with Paul posting some pretty sweet photos of them together. When the news of the baby finally broke, he was the one who shared the more sentimental side of things. He posted a photo of himself holding her bump with the caption, "Mum's a superhero. I'm just really lucky."
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Welcoming the New Arrival
By the time the fall of 2025 rolled around, the "is she still pregnant?" searches were peaking. On October 19, 2025, the wait was over. Paul Rabil confirmed the birth of their first child via an Instagram carousel.
He didn't drop a name or a gender right away—again, they like their privacy—but he did share some pretty raw, beautiful thoughts on fatherhood. He wrote about how becoming a parent "slows you down and wakes you up at the same time."
The photos were low-key and intimate:
- Paul cradling a blanket-wrapped bundle to his chest.
- A shot of Vanessa resting in bed with the baby.
- A pair of lacrosse sticks—one full-sized and one tiny "junior" version.
It was a far cry from the glitz of a Marvel red carpet, which is exactly how Vanessa seems to prefer it.
Why This Pregnancy Felt Different
There’s a reason people are still talking about the Vanessa Kirby pregnancy even now in early 2026. Usually, when a major star gets pregnant during a massive franchise shoot, the studio tries to hide it. They use clever camera angles, giant handbags, or CGI to mask the bump.
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With Vanessa and Marvel, they leaned into it.
Playing Sue Storm as a "working superhero mother" changed her perspective. She’s mentioned in interviews that playing a character who defends the world while carrying a child gave her a lot of confidence for her own journey. It wasn't about "huffing and puffing" or being sidelined; it was about showing that motherhood and being a "team member" aren't mutually exclusive.
What’s Next for Vanessa?
She isn't slowing down. While she's definitely taking that "new mom" time, her schedule for 2026 is already looking packed. We’ve got Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, where we’ll likely see her Sue Storm—and possibly that super-powered kid, Franklin Richards—taking center stage.
She's also attached to some heavy-hitter dramatic projects, including an adaptation of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. It seems like she’s managing that "working mother" balance she admired so much in her Marvel character.
Quick Summary of the Timeline
- October 2022: First spotted with Paul Rabil in NYC.
- November 2023: Relationship goes "Instagram Official."
- May 2025: The big reveal at CCXP Mexico.
- July 2025: Confesses the "fake bump" gave her a worse backache than the real one.
- October 19, 2025: Baby arrives! Paul Rabil shares the first photos.
- Early 2026: Vanessa prepares for a massive year of movie releases.
If you’re looking for the name of the baby or a specific gender, you’ll likely have to wait. Vanessa and Paul aren't the types to sell baby photos to a magazine. They’re keeping this chapter as personal as possible, which, honestly, is pretty refreshing in an era where every heartbeat is usually live-streamed.
For now, the best way to keep up is to keep an eye on Paul's social media for the occasional grainy photo of a tiny foot or a lacrosse stick, or wait for the next Fantastic Four press tour where Vanessa will undoubtedly be asked how motherhood is treating her.
Practical Takeaway for Fans:
If you want to see the performance that basically "prepared" her for motherhood, go back and watch her scenes in the latest Fantastic Four trailer. The way she carries herself as Sue Storm is a direct reflection of what she was going through in real life during that shoot. It adds a whole new layer to the character's strength. Keep an eye on the official Marvel channels for the Avengers: Doomsday rollout, as that will be her first major post-baby appearance on the big screen.