First Steps Trailer Has Already Sparked A Debate About The Thing

The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer proved to be a significant hit for Marvel Studios this week, with many people talking about the upcoming movie. There was no shortage of anticipation for The Fantastic Four: First Steps before the footage dropped, but now that people know what the characters look and sound like, that has only risen.

Out of the Fantastic Four stars themselves, The Thing was the one who left people talking the most. He’s the character that stands out from the crowd and can often be the most divisive, and that’s what has happened. The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer left everyone talking about The Thing, with people having their own opinions, whether positive or negative.

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The Thing’s Voice Has Led To Confusion

Usually, The Thing has a deeper voice that is different from Ben Grimm’s human voice, which showcases that all aspects of his life have been altered. From The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, it is clear that’s not going to be the case this time around, with Marvel subverting the expectations for how a character that looks like this will sound. That is something that many people are happy about, as it means part of Grimm’s original life will remain within him.

Keeping The Thing’s voice the same will also allow the character to express himself a little easier. It’s more challenging for Marvel to pull the emotions from The Thing from a visual perspective due to his being made of rocks, and that is where the voice might be a positive choice, as people will be able to understand his feelings even more without pushing a rougher expression. However, some people are concerned about whether or not his classic “It’s Clobberin’ Time” catchphrase will sound right this way.

This Version Of The Thing Is Different From Previous Iterations

The fact that The Thing is keeping his human voice when in rock form isn’t the only way the character is different from previous live-action versions. Typically, Grimm’s voice becomes deeper after the change to separate the characters in a similar manner to Batman and Bruce Wayne, but that doesn’t appear to be the case this time. However, he is also being presented as someone who loves cooking, which is instantly going to draw comparisons to Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s role in the hit Disney Plus show, The Bear.

However, he’s visually different, too, and that’s something that is going to make this version of The Thing stand out. There were always going to be changes when it came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe version, and this particular character is going down a more old-school route, which is in keeping with the entire feel of the movie. The Fantastic Four: First Steps feels like a period piece in specific ways, and The Thing’s visual appearance aligns with that. Plus, he’s also got a look that is more in keeping with the original comic book drawings of the character which is something that a lot of hardcore fans are going to appreciate.

The CGI Isn’t To Everyone’s Taste

The most important aspect of The Thing is his visual appearance, as the character is such an iconic one. In the past, The Thing hasn’t looked quite right visually, whether that’s a case of being too orange or bulky, and there have already been complaints this time around. Some people believe that his lips look too smooth, while there have also been complaints about the eyebrows being overly bulky and dominating his other facial features, making it challenging to see his eyes and the rest of his look generally.

The CGI is something that can still be worked on in post-production, with Marvel likely continuing to tweak the film as much as possible until its release. Feedback from The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer will likely play a part in determining if any significant changes take place to The Thing, but there have been enough positive comments to suggest that there won’t need to be too many major alterations to his physical appearance. The rock work has been well done and doesn’t look fake or overly comedic, and that’s a crucial factor regarding this character.

Ultimately, even if The Thing’s visuals aren’t to everybody’s taste, the main deciding factor on whether the character works will be the acting quality and the story he has. The Thing is one of the most interesting parts of the Fantastic Four because his life is thrown upside down, and that can lead to people fearing him. However, glimpses from the trailer showed he could end up being beloved, which would be a different type of story for Marvel to take. As long as the acting is on point and the character is taken seriously, then The Thing will have no problems being a popular part of the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date

July 23, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

• 

  Pedro Pascal

  Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic

• 

  Vanessa Kirby

  Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman

• 

  Joseph Quinn

  Johnny Storm / Human Torch

• 

  Ebon Moss-Bachrach

  Ben Grimm / The Thing