Superman by James Gunn has proven itself to be the bonafide blockbuster hit that DC was looking for to relaunch their movie universe, and now the onus is on Fantastic Four First Steps to try to get Marvel Cinematic Universe fans hyped up for the future of the MCU. The Marvel Legends Fantastic Four movie figures are starting to ship out now, so I figured this would be a good time to give them some spotlight with a review of the heaviest hitter in the wave: The Thing. Should this Ben Grimm clobber his way into your collection?

I genuinely enjoyed Fox’s 205 Fantastic Four film, and I didn’t even mind the much-reviled Josh Trank “Fan4stic” movie put out in 2015, so it’s pretty apparent that I’m am FF mark primed to lap up virtually any slop movie with the “Fantastic Four” name that plopped in front of me. I was a huge F4 fan as a teen and young adult comic book fan, and I’ve clearly still got a soft spot for Marvel’s first family.

So when Hasbro announced the Marvel Legends Fantastic Four First Steps figures, it was a foregone conclusion I’d be reviewing at least one (but likely more) here on the site. And where better to start than with the traditional most popular member of the family, the ever-loving blue eyed Thing?

The Marvel Legends 2025 Thing figure comes in one of the now stan thin boxes with pull-down tray.The box is in the sleek white and blue colors of the movie’s style guide, with a very boring box back that gives zero info about the character and shows none of the other characters in the wave. It’s a box. It’s fine, I guess.

The Thing figure itself comes with just two extras: a pair of switch-out grappling hands. These are absolutely vital to achieving fun posed with the toy, so I’ll refrain from complaining too much about the scant accessories.

The 6” figure itself is a 100% newly-tooled unique mold. Hasbro opted for a top-less Thing to show off his rocky upper torso, rather than reproducing the tank top attire shown in the trailers. That’s a bummer, but I think it’d highly likely we’ll see topless Ben in the movie, so this figure may just be ahead of its time.The rocky texture itself looks wonderful in all its craggy glory, and the vertically lined pants contrast the bare “skin” nicely. The painted logos on the pants and deco on the belt are small details that go a long way to making this figure feel quality.The slightly frowning head sculpt is fine, if a little bit personality-less. Without seeing the movie I’m not sure exactly what other head sculpt I’d want for this character; this one is adequate and works okay.

The articulation is about what you’d expect from a bulky Marvel Legends movie figure in 2025, and includes:
—Ball-Jointed Head, Upper Torso and Hips
—Ball-Hinge Shoulders and Elbows
—Double-Hinged Knees
—Swivel-Hinge Wrists
—Swivel Waist, Biceps and Thighs
—hinged Feet with Rockers

The articulation does the job for the most part; the only pose I’m really sour I can’t achieve is Thing cupping a fist with his other hand (which just isn’t possible without butterfly shoulders). There’s not a ton of dynamic poses I can think of that I want to put Ben in until I see the movie. For a big lumbering guy, his articulation scheme is above average.

Overall: Like a lot of movie preview figures, the Fantastic Four Legends Thing First Steps figure turns out to be a solidly done, well-executed figure that doesn’t quite hit any notes that truly impress. I wish he was wearing the full costume from the trailer with tanktop and perhaps had a more expressive portrait, but otherwise I’ve got few complaints about the inaugural MCU Thing action figure.Thing can stand stably holding up another figure, the unique rocky body mold is great, and the articulation is decently strong. This Thing figure won’t change your life or win any awards, but it is a good-looking toy that will tide collectors over until a fancier or more exciting version gets released down the road.

GRADE: B+