The upcoming MCU debut of Marvel’s first family,Fantastic Four: First Steps, has a lot of fans nervous, butthe first leaked photo from production has put some of those fears at ease. The Fantastic Four have had a rocky road across their various big screen adaptations. The 2005 adaptation, titledFantastic Four, is the most-beloved, but it is far from flawless. However, its sequel,Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the 2015 reboot known as “Fant4stic,” thanks to its poorly designed poster, were both maligned by the fan base. Among its many problems, the 2015 reboot featured a CGI version of the family’s most visually iconic character, The Thing, a.k.a. Ben Grimm (played by Jamie Bell), which fans detested.
Thankfully, the newest reboot,First Steps,is reverting to the practical approach as the first leaked set photos have revealedan early prosthetic suit for the character.Played byThe Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrachin the new movie, The Thing developed rock-like skin and superhuman strength after the family’s interstellar mission brought them into contact with mysterious cosmic rays. Not only is the suit practical, it is also heavily inspired by the comic book version of the character. Fans have rejoiced online to see thatFirst Stepsis taking a comics accurate approach to the character. “The thing looks awesome! I like the face sculpt and suit looks fire on him,” wrote@DontDisturbuon X, reacting to the leaked suit. Other users were equally elated.@_iTriggshared a similar opinion, writing, “Comic accurate The Thing! LFG!!! This looks so good.” Check out some other Tweets below:
Fantastic Four
If it’s the actor under it, such a bulky and, presumably, heavy costume throughout production will be anexhausting task for Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The actor hasn’t revealed too much about his preparation for the role. However, following the casting announcement, the Emmy-winning actorrevealed the unique way he’s been researching the role. As well as reading the comics, the actor said:
“I’m playing Ben Grimm, who becomes The Thing, who is a man encased in rock. So, yeah, I don’t know, I’ve just been looking at rocks.”
Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Set in an Alternate Universe
While most Marvel fans cannot contain their happiness, there is still a slight air of disappointment surrounding the community. As exciting asFantastic Four: First Stepslooks, some fans are frustrated that it isset in an alternate universe to the main MCU timeline.First Stepsis set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1960s, complete with the team’s beloved Fantasticar. The movie is also expected to introduce some of the family’s most notable villains to the MCU. Many also believe that the end ofFantastic Four: First Stepswill see the family cross over into the main MCU continuity.
Marvel’s Squandered Franchise Will Use These Comics to Finally Get It Right
Matt Shakman has ideas about what the Fantastic Four should be, and those come from the comic book source material, not the movies.
As frustrated as some fans are about the film’s separate timeline, it actuallyprovides Marvel Studios with a unique canvas on which to experiment.First Stepswon’t be burdened by any pre-existing MCU continuity. As a result, director Matt Shakman has free rein to bring a comic-book accurate Fantastic Four andGalactus to the big screen, without worrying about the reverberations they will have on the MCU.
Fantastic Four: First Stepsis scheduled to hit theaters on June 09, 2025.
