First Steps’ Best Character Is Already Obvious

The new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps left people in awe for a variety of reasons, but one character’s presence stands out from the rest. The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has already been receiving immense praise for getting a lot of things right, from its heroes to its retro-futuristic tone.

From The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer, it’s pretty obvious that Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, is set to be the film’s best character by a mile. While it might seem too early to draw conclusions based solely on a trailer, the signs are too good to ignore. As Ebon Moss-Bachrach steps into the role of the rocky, mutated superhuman, his portrayal of The Thing could be one of the biggest selling points of the upcoming MCU movie.

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer Has Already Sparked A Debate About The Thing

MCU fans are already debating about The Thing after The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer.

Ben Grimm Steals The Show in The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer

Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Thing Feels Instantly Iconic

Reed Richards, Sue, and Johnny Storm all get their fair share of screen time in the new trailer, but it’s arguably Ben Grimm who steals the show. It’s not just the reveal of his look that grabs attention. It’s also the fact that the movie has accurately captured the character’s emotional core, even in such a brief glimpse. The trailer offers the first glimpse of Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing in an introduction that almost feels straight out of the actor’s already iconic role as Cousin Richie in FX’s The Bear.

Ben is joined by H.E.R.B.I.E., the Fantastic Four’s robot companion, in the kitchen as he tastes and compliments a dish they prepared together. Interestingly, he’s wearing his trademark blue and white Fantastic Four suit even at home, which humanizes him even more. A moment later, there’s a flashback of the four characters wearing spacesuits as they prepare for the mission that permanently changes their lives. Here, Ben appears in his human form, different from the rocky transformation seen earlier.

The Thing’s Emotional Struggle Takes Center Stage

Ben Grimm’s Transformation Comes At A Cost

This is followed by perhaps the moment that cements The Thing’s emotional core in the trailer. On a TV screen, Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards is seen embracing the human Ben Grimm, calling him “the best pilot in the world.” As Ben jokingly quips, “Best looking, he means,” the TV set switches off, and there’s a powerful moment where The Thing sees his reflection in the window, confronting his present form.

The Thing’s character journey has always been about this, both in Marvel Comics and his previous live-action appearances. Unlike the rest of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm cannot switch off his mutant powers at will. In fact, one could argue that his superhuman strength comes at the permanent cost of his human appearance. His struggle to accept these powers has always been a crucial part of any Fantastic Four story.

Ben Grimm Is More Than Just His Monstrous Appearance

Will Marvel Explore The Thing’s Self-Acceptance?

Inevitably, the MCU will explore storylines where Ben attempts to regain his human form before ultimately choosing to embrace his new self. The Thing’s tragedy lies in how the world perceives his appearance, and his journey to overcome it is already captured perfectly in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. And it doesn’t stop there. Sue refers to Ben as “always being the rock,” implying that he has been a pillar of support for the group – someone they can always rely on.

There’s also a quick shot of a group of kids wearing The Thing merchandise, with masks of his face and his image printed on their T-shirts. While Ben despises his new appearance, the world truly adores him for it. It will be interesting to see how this idea takes shape throughout the movie. All of the above do great justice to his character in the upcoming film.

The Thing’s MCU Design Stays True To Marvel Comics

CGI, Motion Capture & Natural Voice

There are a variety of creative choices at play that make Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s role as The Thing something to look forward to in Fantastic Four: First Steps. First and foremost, the character looks and feels extremely comic-accurate, particularly in line with The Thing’s early illustrations by Jack Kirby. Marvel Studios made it possible by moving away from bulky costumes and prosthetic makeup. Instead, they opted for motion capture suits to create a fully CGI-driven look, much like Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in the same franchise.

This choice allows more of Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s performance to shine through, even beneath his orange rock skin. Another key decision is that the actor’s voice hasn’t been altered into a gruff, gravelly tone like Michael Chiklis’s portrayal in the early 2000s. Going with a natural human voice, combined with intricate sound design that includes the sound of shaking rocks when he moves, feels reminiscent of what Marvel already did with Korg.

In fact, speaking to EW at Comic-Con 2024, director Matt Shakman revealed that they went above and beyond to stay both true to the comics and grounded in reality:

We talked to scientists, we talked to animal experts, we talked to everybody. We went out into the desert to find the best rock to make the Thing right.

However, it must be said that The Thing isn’t without some minor flaws in The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. For now, the lip-sync feels a little off, and the CGI rendering could be smoother and more natural. That said, these are issues that will likely be addressed in post-production, as Marvel has done with their other movies.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date

July 25, 2025

Director

Matt Shakman

Writers

Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee