The Thing’s beard in The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been a quirky topic of conversation since it was shown in trailers for the upcoming blockbuster film. And while there is comic book precedent for Thing growing a big rocky beard, what we haven’t seen is how he shaves in the new movie – until now.
A new teaser for the film, seen below, shows him sanding down his beard with an angle-grinder, complete with sparks flying everywhere. It’s honestly a hilarious image, and a fun little touch that reminds viewers of the human being underneath Ben Grimm’s rocky exterior.
A new look at ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS’ has been released. In theaters July 25. #FantasticFour pic.twitter.com/KEqQNx7Ka5July 20, 2025
The Thing has been shown to grow a beard in comics, though only in a far-flung alt-future where he’s the last surviving member of the Fantastic Four hundreds of years from now. And that comic definitely didn’t explain how he shaves.
What’s extra funny to me is that the Thing’s method of shaving reminds me of the absolutely absurd way that Superman, star of this summer’s other big superhero movie, canonically shaves in comic books, a question that isn’t addressed in the movie (much to my chagrin).
In comics, going all the way back to the Silver Age, Superman has been shown shaving, cutting his hair, and even trimming his nails with his own heat vision thanks to its otherwise indestructible nature, either by bouncing the beams off a mirror, or in some cases, off a small piece of his Kryptonian ship.
It’s a trope that was even adapted into Superman: The Animated Series, where Clark Kent blasts away his morning stubble by beaming his heat vision of his bathroom mirror, and other Superman media as well.
The topic of superheroes shaving in unorthodox ways is something that’s always funny to me, because it’s a humanizing element that makes characters who are in some ways deeply unrelatable to us as normal people much more familiar.
In current Fantastic Four comics, it’s Johnny Storm who has picked up the trend, following a long period of his brother-in-law Reed Richards sporting a beard. But Johnny’s facial hair is a bit more eccentric than just a beard, as he’s been sporting a fairly ridiculous mustache. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards has a beard – and a dashing one at that.
This summer’s two big blockbuster superhero movies have made a point of bringing the human back to superhumans, with Superman using Clark Kent’s love of his adopted planet and its people as a core motivating factor for the Man of Steel, while The Fantastic Four: First Steps is built around the concept of the FF as a family first and superheroes second.
That’s a trope that originates with the Fantastic Four comic, which changed superheroes forever when it debuted back in 1961, as one of the very first titles in the genre to give its heroes feet of clay and their share of interpersonal foibles.
Here’s hoping the charm that’s been shown in trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps carries through the film, and even into the wider MCU. The film premieres July 25 to kick off Marvel Phase 6. In the meantime, be sure to check out our full breakdown of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows coming soon. And check out our guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies in order.
