It's Clobbering Time! The Ben Grimm/ Thing moments we want to see in the MCU

[Airwings]

Before Ben Grimm is the Thing he's typically portrayed as a pretty imposing and tough guy. Played college football, protected Reed when they were in school, fought in the military. Jaime bell was scrawny and Zac Efron is pretty short neither really sell his defining attributes and not even to mention his iconic gruff voice.

And I'm pretty much the originator of the Jesse Plemmons hype around here and he's still my first pick. If they skew older then I'd go Joel Edgerton.

Good suggestion!
Edgerton would work fine but I also feel he's too old for the age they're planning to give F4 in MCU.

 

[MilkmanDan]

What do yall think of Michael Cudlitz as Ben? Saw it on a reddit F4 fancast and i can see it

View attachment 58570

10 or 20 years ago he would have been a great choice, but I think I'd prefer a younger actor for the role.

 

[Stark Bauer]

Before Ben Grimm is the Thing he's typically portrayed as a pretty imposing and tough guy. Played college football, protected Reed when they were in school, fought in the military. Jaime bell was scrawny and Zac Efron is pretty short neither really sell his defining attributes and not even to mention his iconic gruff voice.

And I'm pretty much the originator of the Jesse Plemmons hype around here and he's still my first pick. If they skew older then I'd go Joel Edgerton.

Jesse Plemons is it and it aint even close. </thread>

 

[Spider-Fan83]

I get he's solid actor an all (even played a jock back in the day) but I wouldn't really call Jesse an "imposing tough guy" type, either (even if he got back into shape) he's not even that tall (your comparing to like Bell/Efron as examples of being too short, when he's only a few inches taller then them) not that I suppose either of them, just saying

but, I also think the "touch guy" angle is a very small part of his character... there's much more to him then that

not sure where I was going with that, just pointing out the irony of the argument

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

I get he's solid actor an all (even played a jock back in the day) but I wouldn't really call Jesse an "imposing tough guy" type, either (even if he got back into shape) he's not even that tall (your comparing to like Bell/Efron as examples of being too short, when he's only a few inches taller then them) not that I suppose either of them, just saying

but, I also think the "touch guy" angle is a very small part of his character... there's much more to him then that

not sure where I was going with that, just pointing out the irony of the argument

I don’t like the choice at all, but I generally keep my mouth shut because some here seem to really like him for the role.

Ben has a swagger. He’s tough and loud and extroverted. We all understand that he has some deep insecurities, but he doesn’t show that to the world.

Plemons hasn’t shown me anything close to that in anything I’ve seen him in.

If you’re casting a blonde, doughy insurance salesman who grew up on a farm, has trouble talking to women and has the bodies of 17 drifters in his basement, yeah, Plemons could probably knock it out of the park.

If you’re casting a dark-haired streetwise Jewish guy who grew up on the mean streets of NYC before becoming a college football star and test-pilot, I don’t see it.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

 

[Stark Bauer]

View attachment 58707 View attachment 58708

he could dye his hair. Also you can post a friendly looking pic of Bryan Cranston from his time in Malcolm in the middle and make him look weak. But we all know how he can be menacing as Heisenberg.

here is a picture below

i actually see him as everything you mentioned “dark-haired streetwise Jewish guy who grew up on the mean streets of NYC before becoming a college football star and test-pilot”

seriously if he gets the part of Ben he is going to hit it out of the park so hard it will be like when RDJ became inseparable from Tony

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Sure, you can dye his hair and put lifts in his shoes and put him on a serious weight loss plan and have him act like he didn’t grow up in rural Texas…

… or you can find a young Liev Schrieber and have someone who’s right for the part without needing to reinvent themself.

I’m not saying Plemons absolutely can’t do it, but in the absence of a screen test showing me he can, I’d take the latter.

 

[Stark Bauer]

Definitely agree that whoever they choose should earn the part by screen test

 

[Airwings]

I started to think about something a couple of days ago.

Can Krasinski be Reed again (he's born 79)?
IF he is, would it then be possible to cast Ben with someone around the same age?
The actor I have in mind is Devon Sawa. He's one year older and looks quite rugged these days.
A problem would be the height difference between the two. Maybe people prefer Ben to tower over everybody else, also before the change.
This is not a suggestion, I only got to think of the guy and would like to hear your opinions.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

wow, is Devon Sawa really considered "too old" these days?? I remember his 90's movies and such... umm I guess that was the "90's" so, ya that was a while ago (but yes, if they go an older {that hurts me to say} range for the character(s) (their actor/actresses) Thing, should be the oldest of the team either way

an tho, from his young work isn't really what I'd think of as a "tough guy type"....he has done some recent work were he's looking a more rugged, plays more bad@ss... seems to making a bit of a comeback, idk if it's enough to put him on Marvels radar

but, its an interesting suggest

 

[Spider-Fan83]

speaking of 90's actors (of that same age range)

what about someone like...

Joshua Jackson?

or

Shane West?

 

[Stark Bauer]

Brendan Fraser would be an interesting choice his career is seeing a resurrection and probably wins an Oscar from his performance in The Whale

 

[Airwings]

wow, is Devon Sawa really considered "too old" these days?? I remember his 90's movies and such... umm I guess that was the "90's" so, ya that was a while ago (but yes, if they go an older {that hurts me to say} range for the character(s) (their actor/actresses) Thing, should be the oldest of the team either way

an tho, from his young work isn't really what I'd think of as a "tough guy type"....he has done some recent work were he's looking a more rugged, plays more bad@ss... seems to making a bit of a comeback, idk if it's enough to put him on Marvels radar

but, its an interesting suggest

I didn't really suggest him, I only mentioned his name.

It's surreal that Sawa went from a poster boy who was popular among teen girls (about 25 years ago), to becoming as rugged he's today.
But he tried to change his image and be more edgy already at the very end of the 90s.

I think Marvel see him as too much of of a washed up actor to hire him.

 

[Fluedd]

Brendan Fraser would be an internet choice

I could see that, Ben's character has some similarities to Fraser's Robotman, without all the cussing. I find myself really warming to the Seth Rogan idea for some reason. They could make Rogan look like a tough guy for the few scenes that he'd be human. Could CGI some physique onto him.

 

[Airwings]

speaking of 90's actors (of that same age range)

what about someone like...

Joshua Jackson?

or

Shane West?

I've never bothered about these guys so I can't give a fair judgement. Sorry

But HEY, I got to think of another one. Lukas Haas. He is Reed material... so, it's wrong thread then.

 

[Airwings]

Brendan Fraser would be an internet choice his career is seeing a resurrection and probably wins an Oscar from his performance in The Whale

Not bad!!! I can see it really working, it feels kind of a heureka moment.

Though, he's too old. They won't go with someone born in the late 60s for one of the four leads. Which is saddening because Fraser would have been good.

 

[Fluedd]

Though, he's too old. They won't go with someone born in the late 60s for one of the four leads. Wich is saddening because Fraser would have been good.

I think they could put someone older in Ben's role. He'll be CGI most of the time, and they can de-age him otherwise.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

That sounds like more work than necessary honestly

 

[Fluedd]

That sounds like more work than necessary honestly

They've done it before.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

I've never bothered about these guys so I can't give a fair judgement. Sorry....

90's actors aren't doing it for you... I'll jump ahead an throw out an early 2000's name

James Lafferty

 

[Fluedd]

I'll jump ahead an throw out an early 2000's name

James Lafferty

I don't know who James Lafferty is, but I love those Kirby dots.

 

[Airwings]

90's actors aren't doing it for you... I'll jump ahead an throw out an early 2000's name

James Lafferty
View attachment 58814View attachment 58816

I meant specifically the two you suggested.
But otherwise, I know quite well about some 90s actors lol. I did mention Devon Sawa, didn't I

I haven't heard about Lafferty, sorry

EDIT: The 90s actors yes.... Edward Furlong is not the right one for Ben Grimm, but that tragic washed up actor can surely be called "The Thing" today.
He deserved a better life/career.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

^wasn't question your 90's knowledge lol

just that you seemed to question if 90's actors might be too old, for the age range they might go with

hence a (37y.o.) James Lafferty vs (44y.o.) Joshua Jackson/Shane West/Devon Sawa

 

[Airwings]

^wasn't question your 90's knowledge lol

just that you seemed to question if 90's actors might be too old, for the age range they might go with

hence a (37y.o.) James Lafferty vs (44y.o.) Joshua Jackson/Shane West/Devon Sawa

No, I don't think that the young actors of the 90s are too old. Krasinski is about the same age as several of them

The problem with 90s actors is that most of them have fallen of the radar.

But now I have changed my mind and decide to actually suggest Sawa for Ben
(unless you prefer JTT lol)