Ralph Ineson’s Galactus problems ……

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Now that the latest Fantastic Four First Steps movie has been released (check out our review HERE) and is receiving positive feedback, it’s the challenges faced by actor Ralph Ineson as Galactus that have attracted attention. While Ineson initially gained recognition for his portrayal of Finchy in The Office, he has since become a regular collaborator with director Robert Eggers. However, playing Galactus was anything but a comfortable experience for him.

Ineson remarked, “I had guessed that superheroes wear special suits for their roles.” However, I didn’t anticipate how misguided this assumption was. The idea of attempting something as colossal as what Galactus does in a practical sense is exceptionally uncommon. Yet, from the moment I met Matt, he discussed it as if we were going to create a genuine suit for me to embody the character. For an actor, there’s nothing quite like being able to physically wear such gear. Although I did some motion-capture work, most of my performance was practical and in costume. Wearing that outfit makes you truly feel part of the role.

Instead of the costume being an issue due to its discomfort, it was because he is 55 years old and his joints are not as flexible as they used to be. The extra weight from the costume put strain on his knees, causing them to ache occasionally, so he needed massages during lunch breaks. However, he was well taken care of throughout the process.

Ralph Ineson found an unconventional approach when handling Galactus’ challenges: “Creating a character like Galactus for the screen is much like what Orson Welles said about filmmaking: ‘A writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army.’ This production was more like a Formula One team with pit crew, hundreds of scientists, and data analysts. They designed and built the Galactus suit, which my team and I would use on set. To capture Galactus effectively, we used miniatures that were later enlarged. The footage remained in sharp focus after expansion because we had intense bright light on set. Working in this blinding light while wearing the massive suit, helmet, gauntlets, and other gear was incredibly hot. My team had a specific routine to keep me cool enough. Since Galactus can’t sweat, I needed to manage my body temperature while also performing physically demanding tasks under these bright lights.

He proceeded to elaborate, ‘During filming, I’d perform multiple takes while crew members adjusted the camera setup. I had one person assigned to each gauntlet and another on my helmet. An air conditioning unit was positioned at the back of my armor, and fans were placed in front of me for cooling. We’d wait for the assistant director to give a 30-second countdown before everyone hurriedly put everything back on me. It was similar to a pit stop during a Formula One race.’

…and those were his Galactus problems

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2025-07-25 02:23