Marvel Studios films are known to use unconventional methods for their character stand-ins and The Fantastic Four: First Steps aims to top the methods that came before. Actor Sean Gunn acted as a stand-in for Bradley Cooper as Guardians of the Galaxy’s Rocket Raccoon throughout various productions, but in a fun turn of events for the Matt Shakman-helmed feature, star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays superhero Ben Grimm, got a different sort of companion to help bring the Thing to life.
Pulling a lot of the weight was “Jennifer”: a rock.
“We went out to the desert and found a rock that looked exactly how we thought the Thing should look,” Shakman told Empire Magazine, “and we filmed it in every single shot that the Thing appears in in the movie, under every lighting environment.”
The practical stand-in—no insight was given into the name choice, in case you’re also wondering about that—helped CG animators with the reference needed for coloring and lighting that would be required to support Moss-Bachrach’s motion-capture performance. It also helped ensure the character’s final form on screen wouldn’t be too cartoony.
Moss-Bachrach told the magazine, “It’s a little bit heady to think about all the hundreds of people that are helping animate this character. I just had faith that they would make my performance so much cooler. I’m very, very happy with the way Ben looks.”
While Jennifer helped with the character’s craggy appearance, the actor also did a deeper dive into Grimm’s interior too. “He’s a Lower East Side guy,” the actor explained about his connection as a NY native, same as the character’s creator Jack Kirby, who he kept in mind while creating his take on Ben. “A lot of this character was a homage to his father, and that, to me, is very meaningful.”
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters July 25.
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