Let's be honest for a second: doing Ben Grimm right is basically the "final boss" of Marvel movie-making. We’ve seen the rubbery suits of the early 2000s and the 100% digital "CGI rock" version from 2015, and neither really managed to capture that weird, soulful magic of the character. But with The Fantastic Four: First Steps having hit theaters in July 2025, the conversation has shifted. Everyone is talking about the new Fantastic Four Thing, and it isn’t just about the rocks. It’s about the guy underneath them.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who most of us know as the chaotic but lovable Richie from The Bear, has managed to pull off something pretty spectacular.
He didn't just show up to a soundstage and growl. He actually spent months working with Andy Serkis—the literal godfather of motion capture—at The Imaginarium in Pinewood Studios. If you’ve seen the film, you know it shows. There is a specific kind of sadness in Ben’s eyes that digital effects usually can't fake. It's a "performance capture" masterpiece rather than a "visual effects" one.
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A Retro-Futuristic Rocky Road
The vibe of this movie is different. Director Matt Shakman (the mind behind WandaVision) decided to ditch the gritty modern look for a 1960s retro-futuristic New York set on Earth-828. Think The Jetsons meets Mad Men, but with cosmic rays.
In this world, the Fantastic Four Thing isn't a freak hidden away in a lab. He’s a celebrity. He’s the heart of the "First Family." The production designers didn't just make a "strong guy." They leaned into the Jack Kirby aesthetics—heavy brows, huge hands, and a texture that actually looks like desert rock.
- The "Jennifer" Rock: On set, they actually used a specific piece of desert stone nicknamed "Jennifer" as a lighting reference to make sure the CGI blended with the real-world shadows.
- The Suit vs. Mo-Cap: While Ebon wore a motion-capture suit with two cameras pointed at his face, they also had a life-sized "dummy" costume on set so the other actors, like Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, knew where to look.
- The Voice: Moss-Bachrach kept his natural Brooklyn-tinged grit, which makes the chemistry between him and Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm feel authentic.
Why This Version of Ben Grimm Hits Different
Most people get Ben Grimm wrong because they focus on the "Thing" part. They focus on the strength. But the Fantastic Four Thing is fundamentally a tragedy about a guy who can't hug his wife without breaking her ribs.
In First Steps, the movie avoids the origin story entirely. We meet the team when they are already established. This was a smart move. It allows the script to focus on the dynamic between Ben and the rest of the family without the baggage of "how did I get this way?"
Honestly, the relationship between Ben and Johnny Storm is the highlight here. Joseph Quinn plays a version of Johnny that is a bit more self-aware and less of a "skirt-chaser" than previous versions. It makes their bickering feel like actual brothers rather than just a comedy routine. When Ben finally drops the "It's clobberin' time" line, it doesn't feel like a forced catchphrase. It feels like a release of tension.
The Technical Wizardry Behind the Rocks
You've probably noticed that Ben looks "smaller" than the Hulk. That’s intentional. He’s bulky, sure, but he’s human-sized. This allowed the VFX team to use a hybrid approach. While the final character is digital, the movement is 100% Ebon.
Moss-Bachrach actually talked about consulting with Mark Ruffalo to figure out how to "act" through the dots on his face. He learned how to exaggerate certain micro-expressions so they wouldn't get lost in the digital translation.
The result?
A character that feels heavy. When he walks, the floorboards in the Baxter Building (which was a massive, multi-level practical set, by the way) actually sound like they're under stress.
What’s Next for the Big Guy?
With The Fantastic Four: First Steps raking in over $521 million at the global box office, the path forward is clear. We already know the team is moving toward the main MCU timeline to face off against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
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There’s also an official prequel comic series, Fantastic Four: First Foes, arriving in March 2026, which will dive into the team's early days fighting the Mad Thinker. If you’re a fan of the movie’s version of the Fantastic Four Thing, that’s going to be your go-to for more backstory.
If you want to dive deeper into the making of the character, here are the steps to take:
- Check out the 4K Ultra HD release: It includes a featurette titled "Becoming The Thing" that shows Ebon in the mo-cap rig at Pinewood.
- Visit the virtual Baxter Building: Marvel partnered with Zillow to create a 360-degree tour of the headquarters, where you can see Ben's specifically reinforced living quarters.
- Read the 1960s Kirby/Lee runs: The movie draws heavy inspiration from the original 102-issue run, especially regarding Ben's "Aunt Petunia" references and his Jewish heritage in the Lower East Side (Yancy Street).
The era of the "rubber suit" is over. We finally have a Ben Grimm that feels like a person who happens to be made of orange rocks, rather than a special effect that happens to have a voice. That’s the real win for Marvel in 2026.