When Ebon Moss-Bachrach appeared on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show about six months ago, The Bear and future Ben Grimm actor was coy about how the Fantastic Four’s beloved Ol’ Blue Eyes would be realized on the screen next year. Back then, the man who would be Marvel Studios’ The Thing said, “I don’t think it’s a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit. Apparently the suit was really uncomfortable, we’re past that, I think. It’s a little cosplay and amateur now with technology. It’s mostly performance capture.”
Whether Moss-Bachrach was telling the truth and plans changed, or he’s just that good of an actor at pulling one over on fans, it’s safe to say suits are back in fashion on the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps! And the one Moss-Bachrach was just spotted wearing on the set of the 2025 superhero movie looks absolutely great.
Already making its way across the internet due to set photos snapped by eagle-eyed fans and paparazzi, our first look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ the Thing is a beauty to behold. It is unclear whether there will be some CGI augmentation, similar to how the “white eyes” on the masks in Deadpool & Wolverine were made to emote, but there is most definitely a suit—one which returns to the iconic look of Jack Kirby’s original 1960s design for the Thing, pronounced brow ridge and all.
Frankly, we have to say that even in this decidedly non-publicity friendly leak, the costume is a bit of a relief given the current direction of superhero movies. While like every fan, we could appreciate using CGI and motion capture to realize the Hulk in all his un-jolly green giant glory, as well as a multitude of other fantastic Marvel Comics designs, that technique has still left something to be desired. Whether it was the rough CGI of 20 years ago in Ang Lee’s Hulk or the far more sophisticated renditions of it in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the Hulk never really looks like he is occupying the same space as the other characters. The same goes for Thanos, Kelsey Grammer’s new digitally designed Beast in The Marvels, or a variety of other fan favorite characters.
Motion-capture is a profound tool, one capable of creating art, as proven by every time Andy Serkis steps into one of those suits. Still, if it is at all possible to do one of these characters prosthetically, this writer is still in the camp that it should be done in-camera. There is something to be said about a tactile, tangible quality to a character, which weightless CG animation will never be able to fully replicate. And being able to feel Ben Grimm’s rocky countenance every time you look into the orange crags around his blue eyes is part of the charm. It simply looks better when done that way. Consider the differences between Jim Henson’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles designs from the 1990s movies and the CG monstrosities in the Michael Bay-produced films of the 2010s. Heck, consider the difference between Chiklis’ suit and the CGI used in 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot.
We cannot speak to Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s possible discomfort in that getup, but even on a grainy drone pic with the neck lines of the mask literally showing, it still looks impressive. Given the film is expected to have a lighter, swinging ‘60s aesthetic when compared to the typical MCU house style, a Thing you feel like you can hug is a win.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases on July 25, 2025.
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From https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fantastic-four-set-leak-first-look-the-thing-costume/
