The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been hailed as a fittingly “fantastic” film by various critics and fans. While the Marvel flick’s box office numbers haven’t been sublime, that doesn’t take away from Matt Shakman’s fresh take on the storied superhero team and their mythology. Shakman and co. do a lot right, especially when it comes to the characterizations of the lead heroes. I’m particularly impressed by the depiction of Ben Grimm/The Thing, as this big-screen iteration of him rises above his predecessors in a key way.
