New Fantastic Four movie finally gets The Thing character design comic perfect

Marvel Entertainment has just dropped a new Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer ahead of the movie's July release, and everybody's talking about one 'thing' in particular. The character design of The Thing.

Ben Grimm, AKA The Thing, has been a difficult hero to bring to the screen because of his rock-like appearance. The CGI in the 2015 Fantastic Four film made the character feel slightly uncanny and generic.

But many fans think the new movie has finally got it right, describing the character as comic-accurate based on what we see in the trailer (see our character design tips if you're looking for pointers for your own work).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Official Teaser | Only in Theaters July 25 - YouTube

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps represents the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series. The 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it's directed by Matt Shakman and will see the Fantastic Four battle to protect a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world from planet-devouring Galactus.

The Thing is played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and we see quite a lot of him in the trailer. The animation has a certain stiffness, which has to be expected to an extent when we're talking about a character made from rock, but it looks like the film captures a more believable emotional side of the character too. Many fans are elated.

"This is the best The Thing has ever looked and sounded. I actually can't believe it. I'm lost for words on how amazing this all looks," one person wrote on X. Others have compared a still from the trailer against classic Alex Ross character art of The Thing. "It's a vibe-perfect tribute to the art," one person wrote.

"The entire trailer gives huge Alex Ross vibes, especially with the colors," someone else adds. "Plus the posters look like something straight out of Marvels. It really is fantastic."

Some aren't so sure about the animation and The Thing's voice. "He looks so animated into the screen to me and not like a person? I can't explain it," one person wrote. It is so stiff, unnatural and doesn’t match Ebon's performance at all," someone else claimed. Others suggest the characters's voice should be more 'gravelly', although I'm not so sure about that.

There may still be time to polish the animation before the film's release. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is schedule to show at cinemas from 25 July. For more news on the film see the striking retro Fantastic Four artwork and the controversy around alleged AI Fantastic Four posters.

For more comic book delights, see our exclusive extract from the new DC:Superman collection.