With one Marvel project on the horizon to release in just a few days, another coming next year just got a major update. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who has been tapped to play Ben Grimm/The Thing in Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps, recently spoke with Variety about the upcoming MCU film. Moss-Bachrach is fresh off winning his second Emmy for his performance as Richie in The Bear, and now he has his sights set on Marvel's highly-anticipated period piece, which is due in theaters next year on July 25. Part of Moss-Bachrach's questions stemmed from his lack of facial hair, which has been a staple in his appearance for years, which he tied back to his role in The Fantastic Four, and also took the time to provide an update on the film, which began shooting in London several days after San Diego Comic-Com:

"I'm doing a lot of motion capture on [Fantastic Four], so for maximum-data facial capture, I have to be clean-shaven. They got so many amazing animators working on it, literally hundreds of people working on it. We've been shooting for about six weeks, and I haven't been able to see anything yet, I don't know exactly what the lead time is. I'm very excited to see something."

It's no surprise to hear Moss-Bachrach praise the sheer volume of animators working on the film, given much of his character will need to be animated and edited through visual effects. However, fans were graced with the news that The Thing would indeed be practical when set images surfaced online, showing a large orange rock suit wearing the signature Fantastic Four blue and white outfit. While it's unclear how much time Moss-Bachrach is spending inside the suit, his face will need to be visible outside of it for the motion capture to effectively translate his emotions to the screen. Ben Grimm is also the only member of The Fantastic Four who can't turn his powers off, so the amount of time Moss-Bachrach spends in the suit and the amount of animation required will largely depend on how long into the movie he earns his powers.

Who Else Stars in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps’?

In addition to Moss-Bachrach playing the role of Ben Grimm or The Thing, Marvel Studios has assembled an all-star cast to bring Marvel's First Family to life. Pedro Pascal, best known for his role as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian and more recently, Joel in The Last of Us, will portray Reed Richards. Opposite Pascal and Moss-Bachrach stars Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon, Mission Impossible) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Sue and Johnny Storm, otherwise known as Invisible Woman and The Human Torch. Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson have been cast as Shalla-Bal and Galactus, respectively, with Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and John Malkovich all in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and watch Fantastic Four (2015), now streaming on Max.

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