Becoming a superhero isn’t always about form-fitting costumes and incredible stunt work. Sometimes the newer ways are indeed the best, and that’s what actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach seems to have revealed is the case in the upcoming Marvel movie The Fantastic Four. It appears that his portrayal as the newly cast Ben Grimm/The Thing will indeed be a CGI creation, which has led Marvel fans to weigh in with some varying takes on the matter.
What Eben Moss-Bachrach Said About His Version Of The Thing
During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (which was shared to YouTube) the actor best known for his role on FX’s The Bear talked about what he thinks his performance in director Matt Shakman’s big reboot will entail. While it doesn’t sound like it’s 100% confirmed just yet, Ebon Moss-Bachrach put the following news into the world with confidence:
I don't think it's the suit. Yeah, apparently, I think in the past they've done a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit. Apparently, the suit was really uncomfortable. And it's kind of, we're past that I think. It's a little kind of cosplay, it's a little amateur that stuff now with the technology we have. So, yeah, I think it's mostly performance capture.
If what Ebon Moss-Bachrach has said above is any indication, there might be some practical effects work when it comes to this new iteration of The Thing. Although the claim of “mostly performance capture” could be referencing the fact that we might see Ben Grimm in his pre-transformation form in the 2025 MCU release.
Seeing as what we know about The Fantastic Four has shown that this isn’t an origin story for the first family of superheroes, we can't speak to specifics on the above. What isn’t unknown, though, is how Marvel fans have provided arguments on both sides of the issue, which seem to have divided the room.
Marvel Fans Drop Different Takes On A CGI Thing In The Fantastic Four
Opinions that ran the gamut of positive and negative reinforcement have made it onto social media, with both sides of the aisle being firmly represented. Starting things off with the pro-CGI side, user @SickJay84 tweeted this short but honest assessment of how they felt on the matter:
I've always thought that characters like Thing, Beast, Hulk, Colossus, Thanos, Juggernaut and so on should always be motion capture CGI.
Of course, there are those that are absolutely on the side of The Fantastic Four using practical effects and makeup to portray Ben Grimm in his Thing form. User @HorrorLawyer laid out their case for why such an approach is superior as follows:
I am pro-practical effects. You can create very believable characters with only practical effects. I point to the TERRIFIER movies as an example, but there are many others as well. Practical effects forever!
Moving further into the case of why Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s thoughts on using CGI for The Thing, @LothbrokViking8 seems to agree with the previous remarks about how certain characters are practically built for that method. Citing a certain character's appearance in The Marvels' end-credits scene and others as proof, this comment also has a bit of a message for those who are on the side of practical methods:
People wanting practical effects for Ben Grimm/The Thing need to stop to hold on to the past so much. Motion-Capture is great. We literally had a motion-capture villain ffs. And Beast looks so great in The Marvels. Have some faith.
One could debate whether or not practical effects are holding on to the past, or trying to anchor whatever the vision of a movie like FF might be in a sense of realism. To close out this debate, at least for our purposes, tweeter @Coty__Ellis provided a thread that dug into why they thought Ebon’s comments were “kind of insulting.” Here’s what they had to say:
I know he doesn't mean it in bad faith because it's not his field, but Ebon Moss-Bachrach referring to using practical effects to make The Thing as 'a little cosplay and amateur now with the technology' is kind of insulting. I don't think he's meaning to be insulting, but it's still a frustrating sentiment to be sharing. There's nothing 'amateur' about the amazing work that was done for Michael Chiklis and I just can't stand flippant, dismissive comments like that from people who legitimately don't actually know what they're talking about. I say all this fully acknowledging that he's going to do great in the role, and I don't have any ill will towards the guy, it's more to do with that particular mentality that I see more and more these days.
As The Fantastic Four still needs to go into production in order to meet its July 25, 2025 release date, there’s a chance that Ebon Moss-Bachrach might see some more practical suit work than he currently knows. Anything could happen and, once the cameras start rolling, a newfound need for actual physical effects might arise after production gets into the groove.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen stranger things happen in its history thus far and, in the end, all anyone can hope for is that the method that best suits the vision will be employed. Well, that and if Ebon Moss-Bachrach ends up needing to use a suit, everyone should hope that it’s not as painful and unwieldy as past experiences have proven to be.
We’ve still got a little over a year before the MCU welcomes Ben Grimm and the rest of his Fantastic compatriots to the big screen in the upcoming superhero film. So, if you want to go back and watch the original Fantastic Four duology, or any of the other Marvel movies (in order) leading up to the current day, be sure to use the only superpower needed to get the job done: a Disney+ subscription!
