In approximately one month, Marvel Studios is set to unveil the trailer for “Fantastic Four: First Steps”. This new trailer offers an exciting glimpse into the film, featuring moments like the Silver Surfer’s arrival, a display of the Four’s powers, and even more than just Galactus’s boot. However, what really caught my attention was Ben Grimm, the Thing, sporting a beard – yes, you read that right, a bearded Thing! This beard, much like the rest of him, is made of orange rocks. But here’s the curious part: How does The Thing manage to grow a beard? Isn’t that an interesting question?
That’s what I’m here to explain.
Thing Has Had a Beard Before (in the Comics)
Since his debut as the lovable rock-bound character, people have been attaching fake beards to The Thing. One well-known instance is his recurring roles as Blackbeard the Pirate in various disguises, complete with a black beard first appearing in Fantastic Four volume one #5. Another humorous example is Johnny Storm’s prank from Marvel Fanfare volume one #15, where he glued orange straws to Ben’s face to trick him into thinking he had stubble. However, these were not actual or naturally grown beards for The Thing until the renowned Jonathan Hickman introduced the mainline Marvel Universe version of The Thing growing a beard in Fantastic Four #605. Similar to the trailer, The Thing’s beard was composed entirely of rocks.
Despite popular belief, Thing isn’t actually composed of stones; instead, these rocks are a tough exterior that sprouts from his skin. Beneath all the debris lies a squishy human. While it’s challenging to cause such damage to Thing due to his robust nature, it’s theoretically possible to break through the rocky shell and expose the flesh beneath. The stones serve as an additional layer of skin for Thing, which means his facial hair would be covered by the same stones that cover his body. However, we’ve observed him transform into a human on multiple occasions, each time with a full head of hair. Perhaps over time, we’ll learn why Thing has hair but can’t grow a beard while human.
In comic book issue #605 of the Fantastic Four, we find Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, living many millennia into the future. As age took its toll on him, small cracks might have appeared in his rocky skin, allowing facial hair to sprout and eventually harden like the rest of him – except for the top of his head, where baldness was inevitable due to natural aging. However, an alternate theory suggests that he regained the ability to grow a beard as his body adapted to his powers over time. The intriguing question is: what transpired in Fantastic Four: First Steps that allowed Thing to develop such a disheveled appearance? Your thoughts on this are welcome!
What I’m comfortable with is Thing sporting a beard, yet the mystery that frequently troubles my sleep is about his grooming routine, specifically how he manages to shave it. I think it would make for an intriguing discussion if he were to share some exceptional shaving techniques, perhaps even comparing them to Superman’s razor-sharp methods.
Fantastic Four: First Steps premiers in theaters July 25th!
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2025-06-26 18:11