The MCU Was Right To Cast One Fantastic Four Member Without A Key Kind Of Audition

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) took an unusual approach to casting for one member of the Fantastic Four, skipping many typical audition steps – and it makes sense why. Throughout its history, the MCU has consistently found fantastic actors who have brilliantly portrayed popular Marvel characters in both movies and TV shows.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had excellent casting choices since its beginning, especially with the original Avengers team which remains incredibly popular with fans. However, recent years have also brought strong performances, and actors like Sebastian Stan and Tom Holland continue to impress in their ongoing roles.

Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe includes the Fantastic Four, there’s been exciting news about who will play these iconic heroes. Because they’re such a significant and well-known team in Marvel comics, casting them was a big deal. Interestingly, at least one actor landed a role without going through all the typical auditions.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach Was Cast As The Thing Without A Huge Part Of The Usual Casting Process Taking Place

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays The Thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently shared with Josh Horowitz on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that he wasn’t asked to do a screen test before getting the part. This is unusual, as screen tests are typically required for major roles, especially in big-budget franchises like the MCU.

So, someone asked me about how the Fantastic Four cast for the MCU came together, specifically if we did screen tests as part of the audition process. Here’s what I said – I’m happy to share what I know about how it all went down…

I received a job offer, and surprisingly, it seems I was offered the role before anyone else. Usually, there’s a lot of auditioning and testing involved, but this time there wasn’t, which was a welcome change. I was completely shocked when I found out – I was just walking down Fifth Avenue when my agents called with the news.

Considering how important The Thing is to the Fantastic Four – and Marvel’s future plans for the series – it’s really interesting that Ebon Moss-Bachrach was cast so quickly, even surprising him. This makes sense for a couple of reasons, adding an intriguing layer to the story of how the Marvel Cinematic Universe is built.

The Thing’s MCU Depiction Partly Explains Why Ebon Moss-Bachrach Didn’t Need A Screen Test To Play The Thing

Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s experience in film and TV probably helped him land the role of The Thing without a screen test. However, the character itself also likely factored into that decision, as portraying The Thing effectively requires a unique approach to bring the hero to life on screen.

Since the special effects for The Thing in the MCU combined real-life props and computer graphics to convincingly create Ben Grimm’s rocky appearance within the Marvel world, a traditional screen test with an actor wasn’t as crucial. This is because Ebon Moss-Bachrach wouldn’t be physically appearing on screen in the usual way.

It’s not unusual for movies to do screen tests with actors who will later look different on film, thanks to special effects or other techniques. However, the decision not to have Ebon Moss-Bachrach screen test for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe suggests the filmmakers were very confident he was right for the part – and early reviews of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, particularly the positive reactions to his portrayal of The Thing, seem to confirm that confidence.

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2026-06-15 15:51