‘Fantastic Four’: Ebon Moss-Bachrach to Play The Thing!!

From The Bear to The Thing, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is continuing his ascent into stardom with his biggest role yet, following his casting as Ben Grimm in Marvel‘s Fantastic Four. The Emmy Award-nominated actor is best known for his work in the hit FX series, as well as his role as Desi Harperin in HBO‘s Girls, and as Arvel Skeen in Andor.

This is also not Moss-Bachrach‘s first foray into the world of Marvel, having also taken on the role of David Lieberman in Netflix‘s Marvel series The Punisher, which also starred Jon Bernthal and was just recently confirmed as being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s “Sacred Timeline”. This means Moss-Bachrach joins the likes of Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Linda Cardellini and Mahershala Ali as actors to have taken on multiple MCU roles.

Fantastic Four was announced by Kevin Feige, after years of speculation, with a November 2024 release date during 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, although that date has since been pushed back. John Krasinski made an appearance as a variant of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, before being unceremoniously slaughtered by Elizabeth Olsen‘s Scarlet Witch. Krasinski is not returning to the role, with Pedro Pascal having been cast as Richards.

Ben Grimm’s On-Screen History

Michael Chiklis brought The Thing to life in the 2005 film Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Chiklis delivered a memorable performance, combining the gruff exterior and inner vulnerability of Ben Grimm. His portrayal was praised for capturing the essence of the character and his complicated relationship with his transformed appearance.

In the 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four, Jamie Bell took on the role of Ben Grimm/The Thing. The film focused more on the character’s vulnerability and emotional journey, showcasing a different interpretation of Ben Grimm compared to previous versions. Bell‘s performance added depth to the character, highlighting the internal struggle faced by Ben as he coped with his altered form, although the film was ultimately a critical and financial disaster.

The film will be directed by Matt Shakman, who was responsible for overseeing the critically acclaimed WandaVision for Marvel and Disney+, and the script is being dealt with by Josh Friedman. Friedman has had a prolific career as a writer and story developer. As well as having written the story for James Cameron’s 2022 blockbuster, Avatar: The Way of Water, the screenwriter also developed TV series Snowpiercer, Foundation, and Emerald City. He also wrote the story for Terminator: Dark Fate and Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds.