First look at The Thing in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” sparks meme mayhem online

The debut trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps has left Marvel fans giddy, and The Thing — rather than plot conjectures or the exciting action sequences — has taken centre stage. Fans have been quick to voice their thoughts about the new, hefty design, which seems like it was moulded right out of a computer-generated imagery lab in the 2000s.

Hilarious comparisons of everything from deformed cuisine to well-known TV characters are booming on social media. If the movie's objective was to make The Thing "unforgettable," then it surely was a success.

---

Memes galore as fans react to The Thing's rocky CGI reveal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

The first glance at The Thing's design has, predictably, unlocked all of Marvel clan's Twitter opinions. Neither the fans nor the memes seem to be stopping. The prevailing opinion? There is much room for improvement in the CGI.

A user wrote:

"WTH IS THIS CGI?! face looks distorted," alongside a still of The Thing, showing off the, shall we say, unconventional new look.

Another user took a lighter jab, posting a meme of Gordon Ramsay with a distorted CGI face holding a cabbage, simply saying: "Same energy." You can see where the comparisons come from.

In a more vivid roast, a tweet quipped:

"Why does he look like melted chocolate restacked in a freezer?" — which is a visual no one asked for, yet now we can't unsee.

A Breaking Bad reference soon popped up in the form of “Hear me out” paired with a photo of Hank Schrader. It’s probably the most unexpected crossover of 2025.

Criticism of the CGI didn’t stop there.

"Was this movie made with CapCut?” one user jokingly asked, calling out what they saw as a subpar editing job.

Another chimed in:

"idk the eyebrows so big it reminds me of Sid the Sloth," drawing comparisons to the beloved prehistoric character from Ice Age.

A fan, who dabbles in animation, commented:

"Looks like a mistake I made on Blender," suggesting that even amateurs could achieve a similar effect.

Despite the divisive reception, some fans are more perplexed by the backlash.

"I see people mad that he too ugly?"

a user asked, perhaps hinting that The Thing was never going to win any beauty pageants to begin with.

---

Background info: A rocky road for the franchise

From its campy 2005 adaptation to its highly acclaimed 2015 revamp, Fantastic Four has had its ups and downs on the big screen. With this next chapter, fans have been eagerly awaiting the franchise's redemption, but the first response has been, well, rocky — particularly with reference to the computer-generated imagery.

With The Thing's design generating the most debate, the trailer, which was just released, provided viewers with the first look at the main protagonists. While the movie tries to recreate the essence of the adored superhero team, other elements of the picture are being overshadowed by the intense attention on The Thing's looks. Although CGI technology has advanced significantly, both critics and viewers have noted that it appears to have taken a step back.

One of the most recognisable figures in the series, The Thing, is no stranger to criticism. It has always been difficult to adapt his large, rugged visage for the big screen, but this most recent attempt has many questioning if it was worth the trouble.

Despite the criticism, there is still a lot of anticipation for the movie, and as the release date approaches, it's probable that this massive surge of memes will increase interest.