The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally offered a fresh take on Marvel’s First Family, fixing a trope that arguably ruined the previous Fantastic Four movies. The Fantastic Four: First Steps officially brought the famed heroes into the 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 the Fantastic Four’s cinematic history. The early 2000s created the Thing’s rocky form using practical effects. Fant4stic used exclusively CGI, while the celebrated First Steps used 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

In First 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’s a deliberate and powerful choice. Rather than wallow in self-pity, Ben seems fully aware of his new idenтιтy 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 and reᴀssures his old friend. In one of First Steps best 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 2005 Fantastic Four film and its 2007 sequel, as well as the ill-fated 2015 reboot, Ben Grimm’s main arc revolves around wanting to be human again. The conflict 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 him barely 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 best Fantastic Four stories, as exemplified by The 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 that Ben’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 the First Steps credits, while Reed becomes the tragic figure. It’s a subtle shift, but one that makes The Fantastic Four: First Steps stand out immediately as a smarter, more human take on Marvel’s most lovable rock.