Did The Fantastic Four: First Steps make a misstep? Ebon Moss-Bachrach confirms a disappointing detail about bringing The Thing to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The internet was ablaze last week when set photos revealed a life-sized costume of The Thing on the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This led many to assume that the comic book hero would be created using practical effects in the MCU reboot, with Ebon Moss-Bachrach voicing the character inside of the costume akin to Michael Chiklis’ in the films from the early 2000s.
A new video showing Ebon Moss-Bachrach on his way to the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps reveals that the actor is wearing a mo-cap suit. So unless he just has a very odd taste in fashion, it seems that The Thing will, in fact, be fully CGI when he finally makes his way into the MCU.
The Truth Behind The Thing’s Costume
This has left many fans scratching their heads about why the studio would have an actual costume of The Thing while filming The Fantastic Four: First Steps if Ebon Moss-Bachrach is going to just be covered in CGI. The answer is: It’s likely a stand-in for VFX artists. This type of prop has been standard in the MCU for years, and has been seen in iconic set photos like for Sonic 2, where statues mark the place of their characters to capture information about lighting and size.
This also shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans. Earlier this year, Ebon Moss-Bachrach confirmed that The Thing would be CGI in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While many fans have bemoaned the MCU’s use of VFX throughout the years, most of the time the studio does it so seamlessly that fans don’t even notice. And given how big this project is set to be, it’s likely they’ll put extra care into making it work!
The Fantastic Four opens on July 25, 2025. Stay tuned for all the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!