The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the MCU’s long-awaited reboot of Marvel’s First Family, has done just about everything right so far. Casting four popular, zeitgeist-y actors as the titular foursome? Check. An epic exclusive teaser shown at Comic-Con that leaked online and caused much excitement? Check. Resurrecting a lost art of superhero moviemaking that is earning it widespread acclaim online? Well… We’ll see.
As location filming plows ahead in the U.K. on director Matt Shakman’s movie, our first set photos of the ever-loving Thing have hit social media — and the fandom could not be any more in love. Snaps and a set video have materialized which show either Ben Grimm actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach or his stunt double having a Thing mask fixed over their face.
Complete with a heavy brow, large eyes, and bright orange complexion — not to mention his spiffy blue and white tracksuit — not only does this seem to confirm that First Steps‘ Thing will be comics-accurate, it also appears to assure us that the character will be realized with practical effects.
If so, this marks the first time the Thing has been realized practically on film since Michael Chiklis’ incarnation in 2005’s Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. For 2015’s infamous Fant4stic, Jamie Bell’s version was a fully CG (and, for some reason, fully nude) Thing, so it’s meaning a lot to fans that Marvel is apparently going back to a more low-fi approach.
Many are hoping this will be the finest Thing we’ve ever had.
“Looks like ET on steroids,” was one tweeter’s description, although we’re not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
What is for sure is that, after sitting through the horrors of Fant4stic, fans definitely deserve a more faithful Ben Grimm again.
The only problem? We might not be able to believe the evidence of our eyes here, as prior intel promised that the MCU’s Thing would be created with CGI. Where does this intel come from? From the rock-man himself…
Will the MCU’s Thing be CGI or practical in The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
The curious thing about these set pics is that they seem to directly contradict what Ebon Moss-Bachrach said about his character during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in February, shortly after his casting was officially confirmed.
When Kimmel questioned The Bear star on whether he would be donning a practical suit to play the Thing or if it would all be done with CGI, Moss-Bachrach seemed adamant that he wouldn’t need to don a padded orange suit, even disparaging the Chiklis approach as “cosplay” and “a little amateur.”
“I don’t think it’s the suit, yeah,” the actor stated. “In the past, they’ve done a suit — Michael Chiklis wore a suit. Apparently, the suit was really uncomfortable. And we’re past that, I think. It’s a little kinda cosplay, it’s a little amateur, that stuff. I think it’s mostly performance capture.”
As filming didn’t get started until July, it’s entirely possible Moss-Bachrach simply had the wrong end of the stick and, despite his apparent relief that he wasn’t going to have to wear a Thing suit, Marvel later told him otherwise. On the other hand, given how confident he seemed when telling Kimmel the character would be a MoCap performance, it’s likely that these set photos aren’t quite what they seem.
The Thing suit glimpsed on location may simply be a stand-in used for filming on the day, with Moss-Bachrach’s MoCap work replacing them in post-production. Just as he wished it, the actor may never have to wear the no doubt heavy and restrictive suit himself. A CGI Thing still seems to be coming, then, even if this foam fella being used for filming presumably gives us a hint at how the final product will look. The truth shall be revealed come The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ release on July 25, 2025.
Published: Aug 29, 2024 08:37 am