I'm Still Thinking About The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Take On The Thing, And There's One Improvement Over The Previous Movies

The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been hailed as a fittingly “fantastic” film by various critics and fans. While the Marvel flick’s box office numbers haven’t been sublime, that doesn’t take away from Matt Shakman’s fresh take on the storied superhero team and their mythology. Shakman and co. do a lot right, especially when it comes to the characterizations of the lead heroes. I’m particularly impressed by the depiction of Ben Grimm/The Thing, as this big-screen iteration of him rises above his predecessors in a key way.

How Does First Steps’ The Thing Improve Upon Past Movies' Takes On The Character?

Michael Chiklis plays Ben in Tim Story’s two FF movies, while Jamie Bell tackles the role in Josh Trank’s FANT4STIC from 2015. I’d argue that Trank’s movie doesn’t offer Ben much in the way of character depth or complexity. As a child of the 2000s, I have some affection for Chiklis’ Grimm, though. However, an aspect of Chiklis’ Ben that gets a bit tiresome is his role as a “tragic figure.”

Obviously, Ben is transformed to a greater extent than his teammates, given he becomes a large being made of rock. Ben struggles with that on and off in the comics. Story tackles that head on in his films, especially the first one. It’s somewhat interesting, but it ultimately feels clichéd. Thankfully, that’s not emphasized in Shakman’s film. His Ben (who’s played excellently by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) isn’t painted as a tortured and ostracized monster.

What fans receive instead is a confident Ben Grimm, who’s celebrated for being the hero he is. There are brief flashes of Ben’s longing to be normal, which is understandable. However, this version is far more concerned about the well being of his found family and the planet than he is about his looks.

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In fairness, when fans meet the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Ben, it’s been four years since his transformation, and he’s seemingly been through the adjustment period. Still, I really appreciate the fact that with First Steps, fans mostly just get to see Grimm saving the world, chopping it up with his loved ones and getting flirty with Natasha Lyonne’s Rachel Rozman.

MCU Fans Are Set To See More Of Ben Grimm In The Near Future

As it stands, Marvel’s First Family is set to return to the big screen in 2026. The characters are will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, in which they’ll help various other heroes take on the evil Doctor Doom. It’s exciting to me that the Fantastic Four’s return is already set, but what really has me pumped is the prospect of them interacting with established MCU characters. It’s particularly fun to think about how Ben Grimm will mix it up with the various characters.

What fans have to remember is that the FF live in a world in which they’re the only superheroes in existence, and it may be a bit of a shock for them to run into so many other superpowered good guys. So, as intriguing as the idea of Thor, Red Guardian or Bucky Barnes reacting to the Thing is, I’m even more curious as to what he’ll think of them. Of course, given that Ben’s a chill guy, I can’t imagine him not getting along with any fellow do-gooders.

At this point, though, I’m just glad fans now have a movie version of Ben Grimm that isn’t defined by tragedy. Let’s hope that remains the case when he appears in upcoming Marvel movies. Right now, though, check out The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters, and stream past FF flicks with a Disney+ subscription.