Natasha Lyonne's criminally underused Fantastic Four character is a wholesome tribute to Marvel legend Jack Kirby

Natasha Lyonne's character in Fantastic Four may not be lifted straight from the comics, but her name is a wholesome tribute to someone very close to a Marvel Comics legend.

In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Lyonne plays Rachel Rozman, an elementary school teacher and Ben's love interest. In the comics, Ben has a romantic relationship with a teacher called Debbie Green, so the character's name was changed for the movie. However, fans have pointed out that her big-screen counterpart could have been named after a real-life figure: comic book artist Jack Kirby's wife Rosalind "Roz" Goldstein.

Kirby is the co-creator of many Marvel mainstays, including the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer – amongst many, many others, like Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, and Ant-Man.

We don't see much of Rachel in the movie – her and Ben have a cautiously flirtatious chat outside the school towards the start of the film, and he goes to visit her in the movie's final act when it seems like Galactus might spell the end of life on Earth. However, in that latter scene, we don't really see much in the way of interaction between the two. Let's hope that relationship is further explored in any Fantastic Four sequels (or maybe even in Avengers: Doomsday…).

Alongside Lyonne, the Fantastic Four cast includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/the Thing.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first installment in Marvel Phase 6, is out now in theaters. For more on the movie, check out our guide to the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, or take a look at our spoiler-free Fantastic Four: First Steps review.