Is Marvel’s Fantastic Four Reboot Finally Getting The Thing Right?

Marvel’s First Family are finally headed back to the big screen, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps lined up to debut in theaters next summer. The live-action film will fold the beloved comic characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and early looks have hinted that the execution will be something special. Early promotional art released by Marvel Studios, as well as test footage that was screened at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo, have confirmed a distinct 1960s aesthetic, paying tribute to the decade when the team first debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics. These early glimpses, as well as leaked set photos that surfaced on Wednesday, have also teased the film’s design for Ben Grimm / The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the fan-favorite orange-hued member of the team. While we still have to wait eleven months until First Steps arrives in theaters, there is the potential that the film could deliver the most comic-accurate adaptation of the character that we’ve seen yet in live-action.

Granted, at the time of this writing, we have yet to see footage The Thing in action, as his only appearance in the convention-exclusive footage is either in his human form, or sitting down in silhouette in his superhero form on a Dating Game-like television show. Moss-Bachrach has previously teased in interviews that his portrayal of the character will be done in motion-capture, and we’ll have to wait and see what practical elements might be used in addition to that. Either way, the actual design for the character — who is known for his imposing frame and his rock-like textured orange skin — has been unbelievably accurate to how he is portrayed in the pages of Marvel Comics. In particular, he looks like a spitting image of how he was drawn by Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby in the comic’s early stages, as evident by the over-exaggerated eyebrows and impossibly-massive shoulders. The choice to emulate Kirby in The Thing’s design not only conveys First Steps‘ reverence for the comics, but it provides a bit of a poignant full-circle moment, as Kirby repeatedly confirmed, prior to his passing in 1994, that he modeled the character after himself.

“The Thing was really myself,” Kirby told Prisoners of Gravity in 1992. “If you’ll notice the way the Thing talks and acts, you’ll find that the Thing is really Jack Kirby. He has my manners, he has my manner of speech, and he thinks the way I do. He’s excitable, and you’ll find that he’s very, very active among people, and he can muscle his way through a crowd. I find that I’m that sort of person.”

While those design traits might seem easy to render into live-action, the previous Fantastic Four adaptations have had varying levels of success. Roger Corman’s infamously low-budget 1994 version brought The Thing to life in a rubber suit, which carried the character’s expressiveness into an uncanny valley. Michael Chiklis’ portrayal in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer remains beloved among fans — in part because it utilizes a detailed practical suit — but it is missing the eyebrows and some aesthetic flourishes. Jamie Bell’s portrayal in 2015’s Fantastic Four was brought to life utilizing CGI, which allowed for a technically-better rendering, but still came across as more cold and brutal than the character fans know and love. 

Again, we’re still a ways away from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, or even the film’s first trailer. But it’s hard to deny that the project’s approach to The Thing is promising, and has the potential to both reintroduce a lovable character to mainstream audiences, and perfectly pay tribute to his comic roots.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released exclusively in theaters on July 25, 2025.