Fant4stic "It's Clobberin' Time!" - The Ben "Thing" Grimm Thread

[Brian2887]

I dunno if anyone has seen Midnight in Paris, but Corey Stoll (who played Ernest Hemingway) would be such an amazing Ben Grimm. He had toughness and bravado out the yang, but definitely can pull off the vulnerability needed.

He's also been in House of Cards, Salt, The Bourne Legacy, and Push.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I dunno if anyone has seen Midnight in Paris, but Corey Stoll (who played Ernest Hemingway) would be such an amazing Ben Grimm. He had toughness and bravado out the yang, but definitely can pull off the vulnerability needed.

He's also been in House of Cards, Salt, The Bourne Legacy, and Push.

Interesting! We just finished watching House of Cards, and he was great in that, but even though his character was from Philadelphia (I'm just outside of Philly myself) he didn't really seem like someone from here. That makes me wonder if he could pull off the Lower East Side attitude needed for Ben.

 

[eon001]

Bobby Cannavale!

SO much win in this ^^^^ We need to start tweeting Josh Trank with this casting choice asap.

But he did not look "completely real" - it was not bad, but not totally real...

Brian Steel, the guy who was in the Wink suit in HB2 is pretty tall - much taller than the Thing is suppose to be [remember he's shorter than Reed] but since some of you want him taller for some reason, then Brian would be a good choice. He's had lots of suit and prosthetic experience...

I don't think it's necessary to get a "real" look for a fantasy character like the Thing. The Hulk didn't look "real", but the effects were good enough to suspend your disbelief.

 

[bubbadoom]

SO much win in this ^^^^ We need to start tweeting Josh Trank with this casting choice asap.



I don't think it's necessary to get a "real" look for a fantasy character like the Thing. The Hulk didn't look "real", but the effects were good enough to suspend your disbelief.

I think you are taking my statement out of context. Someone was suggesting that the digital apes in the last POTA movie looked "completely" real, and thus digital was the way to go for the Thing, and I did not agree.

I do agree with you that a fantasy character like the Thing does not have to look 100% real to work. I think this was a mistake made with the coloring and some design choices of the Thing in the first FF, and when they went with a more "comic book" color scheme in FF2 it worked much better.

Practical or digital, a character like the Thing is never going to look "real" - but you can select a technique that will give you the most satisfactory results. Sure digital fxs can look fantastic, but they can also look like crap - like the vampires in I AM LEGEND. Trying to do a character like Hellboy or Abe as a digital effect for the entire film is very cost prohibitive and thus far Fox has not been willing to commit that kind of cash. HB used digital doubles when necessary and that work just fine, no reason it would not work for the Thing. Come to think of it, the FF movies used digital doubles for the Thing when necessary, too.

 

[Project862006]

you know who would be a good ben

John Bernthal he has that tough new york city vibe about him and he is also jewish

 

[ericadawn16]

How's his voice?

Are we still going for someone with a deep voice or they'll change it after filming or...?

 

[Airwings]

Devon Sawa could work!
After all, he used to be "the thing" back in the days.

 

[terry78]

They ain't going with an obvious chioice this time around. It'll be someone we weren't expecting.

 

[Tehmeh]

I'm thinking of "Hank" from Breaking Bad. Too lazy to check out his name. He's awesome. #teamhank

 

[TheAQU4M4N]

Dean Norris? that's a pretty good choice.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

My number one is still David Boreanaz, but for some reason I'm really liking Jensen Ackles for the role as well.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I'm thinking of "Hank" from Breaking Bad. Too lazy to check out his name. He's awesome. #teamhank

Dean Norris? that's a pretty good choice.

Great actor but too old, too short, too fat and too bald in my opinion.

 

[bubbadoom]

Funny how bald guys keep coming up for Ben - Chiklis should have worn a wig for his first scenes as Ben in the first FF.

 

[terry78]

Ben Grimm was not bald before the change. He was a somewhat ruggedly handsome dude, which made it all the more ironic.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Funny how bald guys keep coming up for Ben - Chiklis should have worn a wig for his first scenes as Ben in the first FF.

Ben Grimm was not bald before the change. He was a somewhat ruggedly handsome dude, which made it all the more ironic.

What concerns me about that idea is I think it's just a symptom of the broader problem - that people associate these characters more with the first two films than the comics.

 

[Quasimod0]

What concerns me about that idea is I think it's just a symptom of the broader problem - that people associate these characters more with the first two films than the comics.

To be fair, most of the time in the comics, the thing is big and orange and rocky. So his regular look isnt seen all that often.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

To be fair, most of the time in the comics, the thing is big and orange and rocky. So his regular look isnt seen all that often.

True. And because of that, I didn't mind that Chiklis wasn't really right and I wouldn't be overly concerned if they choose someone for this one who doesn't look right.

But I do see many comments and casting choices on here that show people are more familiar with the film versions than the comic versions.

That's understandable - even though the films didn't make huge bucks, there are a lot of people that saw them in theaters or on TV who never picked up a comic book.

So it's understandable, but still a little scary.

 

[Project862006]

Ben Grimm was not bald before the change. He was a somewhat ruggedly handsome dude, which made it all the more ironic.

^exactly

 

[terry78]

Which is why I'm saying they actually could find somebody whose kind of a pretty boy with a gruff edge to them, like Ackles. Not saying I want him, but he's in the ballpark.

 

[bubbadoom]

True. And because of that, I didn't mind that Chiklis wasn't really right and I wouldn't be overly concerned if they choose someone for this one who doesn't look right.

But I do see many comments and casting choices on here that show people are more familiar with the film versions than the comic versions.

That's understandable - even though the films didn't make huge bucks, there are a lot of people that saw them in theaters or on TV who never picked up a comic book.

So it's understandable, but still a little scary.

Chiklis would have been perfect for the guy from #51 - This Man, This Monster - who steals the Thing's powers.

Likewise Jessica Alba would have made a better Crystal than Sue Storm.

 

[fangz]

actors being bald or having hair
and the characters they are playing being bald or having hair are two totally separate things anyways.

goatees are like this too. Dr Strange has a goatee. or something similar, i don't know all the specific nicknames for facial hairs, but let's just say it's a goatee.
so usually on fancasts, who comes up? actors who at some point have been photographed having a goatee.

the guy who played Jonah Jameson in Raimi's Spider-Man movies is naturally bald.
almost universally, this is viewed as one of the most perfect castings in comic book movies.

 

[bubbadoom]

actors being bald or having hair
and the characters they are playing being bald or having hair are two totally separate things anyways.

goatees are like this too. Dr Strange has a goatee. or something similar, i don't know all the specific nicknames for facial hairs, but let's just say it's a goatee.
so usually on fancasts, who comes up? actors who at some point have been photographed having a goatee.

the guy who played Jonah Jameson in Raimi's Spider-Man movies is naturally bald.
almost universally, this is viewed as one of the most perfect castings in comic book movies.

true - but they put the classic JJJ hair on him - they did not do this with MC as Ben Grimm.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Chiklis would have been perfect for the guy from #51 - This Man, This Monster - who steals the Thing's powers.

 

[fangz]

true - but they put the classic JJJ hair on him - they did not do this with MC as Ben Grimm.

oh yeah, i'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying about Ben having hair, I was responding more to how earlier there was talk about how lots of bald actors were being brought up and that it was probably becuz of Chiklis playing him last time, and Chiklis being bald. which is probably true. that and just the fact that certain personality types are often portrayed as bald guys.

And I just meant that whether an actor has hair or not is one of the easiest things in the world to change. make someone bald, make them not bald. give someone a goatee. shave their goatee off. whatever. I actually agree that Ben Grimm should have hair on his head.

 

[wobbly]

I always thought Chris Bauer (Andy from true Blood) would make a great Ben Grimm. He's not a pretty boy (rugged looks), got the gruff voice, and has an awkward charm about him that'd suit Ben well.

Slap a toupe on him I'd be good with him as The Thing.