The Fantastic Four reboot will include CGI Thing, says star

Following the announcement of the new Fantastic Four cast, Ebon Moss-Bachrach has confirmed how his on-screen version of The Thing will come to life.

Right now, Ebon Moss-Bachrach is probably one of the most talked-about people in Hollywood. Since winning hearts by playing the abrasive, loud-mouthed Cousin on The Bear, he’ll also star in what will likely be the most anticipated Marvel movie in years.

When the announcement came that Moss-Bachrach would be playing Ben Grimm (aka: The Thing) in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, the reaction was unanimous. Fans all agreed he was the perfect choice for the hot-headed hero. (It seems the industry thought so too, since he’s since revealed that he’d been offered the role as early as August 2023.)

The question of whether his on-screen transformation would come to life with CGI or a practical suit was a major one. Now, Moss-Bachrach has confirmed exactly how this version of The Thing is going to pan out.

The Thing will be CGI in Fantastic Four reboot, says Ebon Moss-Bachrach

In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Ebon Moss-Bachrach confirmed that The Thing in The Fantastic Four will be designed with motion capture and CGI, rather than with a practical suit.

“In the past, I think they’ve done a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit that apparently was really uncomfortable, and it’s kind of… we’re past that,” he said. “It’s a little kind of cosplay, kind of amateur that kind of stuff now with the technology we have. It’s mostly performance capture.”

Indeed, Michael Chiklis did wear a suit to play The Thing in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie. And since the actor called the experience a “physical and psychological nightmare”, it’s safe to say that he probably would agree that the process was a little uncomfortable.

What’s more, there were plenty of critics when it came to the 2005 iteration of The Thing, especially with regards to the intense practical effects and unnerving costume. Which is likely why, when the 2015 reboot came around, they opted to portray the character with CGI instead.

Needless to say, the reactions to this upcoming take on the Thing are mixed, with some fans all for the motion capture approach.

“Good news. We don’t need a suit. Mocap will do it better,” said one X user, while another agreed: “Some things are better as CGI.”

Others, however, would have preferred something a little more practical for this version of Ben Grimm.

“I wish it was a suit/prosthetics like the 2000s movies, I miss when Hollywood used prosthetics,” said one comment.

“I wouldn’t want to be in an insulated, enclosed suit for 11-hour work days either. Good for him,” said another.