The Fantastic Four: First Stepsfinally offered a fresh take onMarvel’s First Family, fixing a trope that arguably ruined the previousFantastic Fourmovies.The Fantastic Four: First Stepsofficially brought the famed heroes intothe MCU timeline. In doing so, it made one major change to Ben Grimm that fixed the franchises previous failures.
Ben Grimm has been brought to life in several ways throughout theFantastic Four’s cinematic history. The early 2000s created the Thing’s rocky form using practical effects.Fant4sticused exclusively CGI, while thecelebratedFirst Stepsused the motion capture technology that brought the Hulk to life. With this, and another key change, the MCU’s Thing became the most compelling.
The MCU’s Ben Grimm Is Content Being The Thing
InFirst Steps, Ben Grimm isn’t shown desperately looking for a way to become human again. In fact, the film skips that arc entirely – and that’sa deliberate and powerful choice.Rather than wallow in self-pity, Ben seems fully aware of his new identity as The Thing and even embraces it.
In a touching moment, when Reed expresses guilt over not finding a way to reverse the transformations, Ben brushes it off andreassures his old friend. In one ofFirst Stepsbest quotes, Ben tells him it’s not his fault and even jokes that Reed isn’t smart enough to restore him anyway. This reversal says a lot about Ben’s inner strength and loyalty.
Ben’s not a man tortured by what he’s become –he’s a soldier, a friend, and a protector. This new angle makes Ben far more heroic than the version defined by self-loathing. Rather than treating his powers as a deformity, he owns them, and in doing so, the MCU offered a version of The Thing that feels quietly revolutionary.
Previous Fantastic Four Movies Depicting The Thing As Something To Be Cured Was Less Compelling
In both the 2005Fantastic Fourfilm and its 2007 sequel, as well as the ill-fated 2015 reboot, Ben Grimm’s main arc revolves around wanting to be human again. Theconflict is often surface-level: he’s ashamed, angry, and even lashes out at Reed. In the 2005 film, his transformation drives him to a moment of desperation.
The Thing does temporarily cure himself, only to revert back for the final battle. In 2015’s version, the film avoids emotional depth entirely, giving himbarely any real arc beyond gruffness and trauma. The problem with this approach is that it flattens Ben into a one-note figure: the “tragic monster.”
It also undercuts the themes of family and acceptance that define the bestFantastic Fourstories, as exemplified byThe Fantastic Four:First Steps' ending. By making Ben’s arc revolve around being “fixed,” those films reduce the team dynamic to pity and guilt. In contrast, the MCU recognizes thatBen’s strength isn’t just physical,it’s emotional resilience.
Additionally, by flipping the trope, they allowed Reed’s guilt to become more tragic. Ben remains steadfast until theFirst Stepscredits,whileReed becomes the tragic figure. It’s a subtle shift, but one that makesThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsstand out immediately as a smarter, more human take on Marvel’s most lovable rock.
