The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Ralph Ineson on how his costume change felt like he was in a 'Formula One pit', Entertainment News
The 55-year-old star plays villain Galactus in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) blockbuster and explained the lengths that the crew had to go to keep him cool in his heavy costume.
Ralph told Collider: "For the actor, it's like working in a huge rubber suit in a sauna, but you're not allowed to sweat.
"So, I have a whole pit crew around me — I'm like a Formula One car — with people taking off bits of my costume in between takes to bring my body temperature down, and then bring it back on for the next take.
"People are shoving air conditioning units up the back of my armour to keep my body temperature down. So, it's a really strange sight. There are eight people buzzing around me like a Formula One pit crew."
Ralph explained that the "strangest" part about starring in the film is seeing his character recreated in toy form for merchandise.
The Harry Potter star said: "It's really crazy. The maddest one for this, for me, is the popcorn bucket of Galactus' head, which is about this big. It's enormous! That's kind of surreal.
"I saw a picture of a toy that's being released, which is kind of to scale to the normal toys, so the Galactus one is about two and a half feet tall. So, yeah, it's very strange to see yourself in toy form."
Ineson explained that there was some dialogue from Galactus that he was disappointed to see absent from the flick's final cut, but he respects director Matt Shakman's editorial decisions.
He said: "From my point of view, there's no kind of sections, but there were various versions, dialogue-wise, of certain speeches, and there were a couple of phrases that I particularly liked that I would have liked to have stayed in that were replaced by other ones.
"But that's not my job. I don't do those things. That's Matt and editors."
The Fantastic Four: First Steps also stars Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman and she has confessed to becoming a "nerd" about her alter ego.
She told Variety: "I'm such a Sue nerd.
"There was something so allegorical about her. She was called Invisible Girl. Then Psycho-Man comes and disrupts everything, and she has a meeting with her own dark side in Malice. She comes back, and she renames herself Invisible Woman. So she transforms from a girl to a woman.
"There's something about meeting the hardest parts of yourself in Malice that felt extremely poignant to me. I'm really hopeful I might be allowed to be Malice at some point for her."
Vanessa previously described how she loves to take on "challenging" roles.
The Crown actress told TheTalks: "I really like pushing past my limits in that way - I love it.
"When I read something and go, 'Uh, I don't know how I am going to do this,' then I know I should do it. I don't think it feels as challenging when you read a script and go, 'I know exactly how I am going to do this.'"
ALSO READ: Vanessa Kirby lost her voice after Fantastic Four birth scene
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Winners Revealed: Trip.com Group's Tourism Innovation Awards Celebrate Immersive, Sustainable & Culture-Rich Travel
From panda celebrities to virtual pop concerts, the awarded experiences span from across the globe including Asia, Middle East and Europe SINGAPORE, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Group today announced the final winners of its Tourism Innovation Awards, recognising trailblazing projects that are driving tourism growth globally. From sustainability-driven design to immersive technology and cultural heritage, the winning projects give a glimpse of the future of travel – reflecting a growing demand for unique experiences that stretch beyond the usual travel checklist. Immersive Technology Captivates Global Audiences Witness a visual and musical spectacle at the ABBA Voyage concert in London. Across the globe, attractions are leveraging technology to push the boundaries of traditional art and entertainment, delivering powerful multi-sensory experiences. Winning the Tourism Innovation Award for their technological innovation are the: Afterlife show at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the ABBA Voyage concert in London and teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM in Tokyo. Experience an art world without boundaries at teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, Tokyo © teamLab. Popular for its immersive, interactive art installations utilising technology, teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM has become a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts and tech lovers. It is ranked as one of the top night attractions in Tokyo on a data-backed and expert-curated list of travel rankings around the world. The success of these technology-led attractions highlights the growing appeal of immersive experiences as travellers look for destinations that not only provide entertainment, but also a greater sense of exploration and creativity. Social Media Trends Fuel Tourism Jump into the world of Harry Potter at London's King's Cross Station, and check out Seoul's must-visit Starfield Library. Social media trends are taking the world by storm and spurring people to chase the moments they've seen online via travel. From the stunning "forest of book walls" design of Seoul's Starfield Library, to the adorable Giant pandas in Chengdu and the iconic Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station in London – these viral trends and locations have won the Tourism Innovation Award for drawing tourists worldwide through their massive following on social media, pushing cultural tourism to a new front. For example, fans all over the world have flocked to Chengdu to catch a glimpse of the famous Giant pandas, while also driving consumption for panda-related merchandise. This trend highlights the influence of social media in shaping travel decisions, as tourists seek destinations that offer both memorable experiences and shareable moments, illustrating how digital buzz can fuel real-world popularity and economic impact. Demand for Innovative Sustainable Travel Saudi Arabia's Shebara Resort blends sustainable luxury with premium aesthetics. Responsible travel continues to stay top-of-mind and an important factor in destination choices. Group's latest consumer report shows that global travellers are placing most emphasis on the environmental and cultural aspects of their travel experiences[1], among other concerns such as economic impact and wildlife protection. In Saudi Arabia, two projects – Shebara Resort and DesertxAIUla – have been recognised with the Tourism Innovation Award for their focus on sustainability innovation, offering unique travel experiences with minimal environmental impact. Shebara Resort's suspended spherical villas hover above coral reefs to reduce ecological disruption, achieving both luxury aesthetics and a reduced impact on the natural landscape. DesertxAlUla integrates art with nature in the historic desert region of Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Desert×AlUla, an open-air art exhibition in Saudi Arabia's ancient desert region, invites artists to create works that engage with AIUla's natural landscapes, promoting dialogue on conservation and attracting interest from audiences worldwide. These attractions support the demand for travel experiences with lesser environmental impact and provide a success model for sustainable tourism growth. Search for Deeper Cultural Exchanges A popular tourist destination, Dollywood Park showcases the best of Tennessee. Old is gold – modern travellers are searching for deeper and more authentic experiences of culture and history, fuelling a demand for cultural heritage tourism. A winner of the Tourism Innovation Awards, Dollywood Park in USA allows visitors to explore the charm of Tennessee through traditional performances and local cuisine while enjoying thrilling rides. Its unique blend of entertainment and culture has attracted many visitors, and the park is ranked as one of the top best things to do in Tennessee on List of Global Winners In no particular order, the global winners of Group's Tourism Innovation Awards are: Each winning project will receive a USD $60,000 prize for their contributions to the travel and tourism industry. About Group's Tourism Innovation Awards Announced by Group at its Envision 2025 Global Partner Conference, the Tourism Innovation Awards is part of the Group's larger initiative to drive industry progress through recognising and supporting outstanding ideas that have redefined the way people travel. With a total prize pool of USD $1.4 million, the awards aim to honour breakthroughs in tourism around the world that have displayed exceptional innovation, sustainability and scalability. More details on the global finalists can be found here. About Group Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Group here: Follow us on: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. [1] Based on Group's 2024 Sustainable Travel Consumer Report polling 9,867 survey samples from 109 countries and territories across four regions.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Tomorrowland meets 1960s NYC: Designing The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing (left) and H.E.R.B.I.E in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. NEW YORK – What if the dreams and design features of Disney theme parks' Tomorrowland were realised in 1960s New York City? One gets a sense of the possibilities in Marvel's blockbuster movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which begins on Earth-828, a doppelganger for Earth itself and the home base of the film's titular superheroes, before spilling out into space. This alternate universe includes mod fashions and flying cars, Flash Gordon-inspired rocket ships and robot butlers, mid-century modern chairs and space-age architecture. In this iteration of the franchise, directed by Matt Shakman, the superhero team inhabits a planet devoid of other Marvel superheroes – no X-Men or Spideys here – and a vastly transformed Manhattan simultaneously familiar yet alien. For the film's fashion , Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, 2007) looked at everything from Ernst Haas photos to 1960s ski wear to fashion designers such as Rudi Gernreich and Bonnie Cashin. Little was overlooked. Byrne even wrestled with the challenges of how the massive Thing (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) might dress himself. 'He's got rock hands,' she said. 'He would never be able to do buttons up.' Other artists and designers drew from concept cars, modernist architects, period newspaper comic strips and archival footage from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to create the film's retrofuturist world, said production designer Kasra Farahani. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Live: Ong Beng Seng convicted; defence urges court to exercise judicial mercy Singapore Ong Beng Seng pleads guilty to abetting obstruction of justice in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran Asia Nearly 1,500 Singapore drivers fined for entering Johor without VEP tag since July 1 Singapore The past and future of Choa Bungalow, a 'last reminder' of Marine Parade's former shoreline Multimedia How Singapore is rethinking nature in the city Business Are Gen Z-ers in Singapore worried about generative AI coming for their jobs? World Trump is winning his trade war, but Americans will pay the price Business Buyers take up over 900 condo units at three new launches in Singapore over the weekend 'So much of retrofuturism is kind of jokey and naive,' he said. 'We were looking to move past that, to take the important archetypical bits, the tail fins, the turbines, the visual icons of that era, but then shed some of the silliness and move to a more sophisticated version of mid-century futurism.' Here is a closer look at how three specific design aspects were achieved. The Baxter Building Living Room In the Marvel universe, the Baxter Building performs double duty as the Fantastic Four's headquarters and home, complete with research laboratories, hangar decks, a home gym and, in this latest film, the most stylish of living rooms. Farahani drew inspiration from the works of architects Eero Saarinen (the TWA Flight Center at the John F. Kennedy International Airport) and Oscar Niemeyer (the Cathedral of Brasilia). The room's centrepiece is a circular conversation pit done up in Fantastic Four blue; the carpeted, coved stairs and floors were inspired by Niemeyer's work on the French Communist Party headquarters in Paris. One of the larger design challenges was adding warmth to what is essentially a n expansive New York City penthouse. 'We brought in a lot of natural materials that one usually associates with West Coast mid-century modernism,' Farahani said. 'There's tons of wood, lots of ferns and plantings, flagstone flooring.' To complete the space, designers added a rotating centrepiece with a fireplace on one side and a TV on the other; a large, multi-coloured mobile inspired by American sculptor Alexander Calder; and a Saarinen-designed Womb chair next to the record player listening station. The Fantasticar In 1962, Fantastic Four artist Jack Kirby – who created the comic book with Stan Lee – debuted the original Fantasticar, an open-air flying vehicle whose shape earned it the nickname 'the flying bathtub'. For First Steps, the film-makers went for something a bit more aerodynamic, taking their design cues from American concept cars like the 1964 General Motors Firebird IV. The new and improved Fantasticar shares the same sleek profile and bubble canopy top, as well as a cockpit-like front seat and rear lights that double as jets. The film-makers built two versions for the movie. The main car's bubble canopy and sliding doors open up to allow all four superheroes – even the lumpish Thing – to jump in and out with ease . Special effects supervisor Alistair Williams was tasked with bringing Farahani's designs to practical life. 'It was a real challenge,' he said. 'I've got goofy footage of me and my guys in a soundstage jumping in and out of the car, just trying to get that timing really, really tight.' The designers also added white wall tyres, chrome bullet tips poking out of the turbines and expandable front and back seats to accommodate the Thing's larger backside . The stunt version of the car, which took 22 weeks to make, features rear-wheel drive and a 450 horsepower-equivalent electric motor. 'For a concept car, it handled remarkably well,' Williams said. New York City Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. PHOTO: THE WALT DISNEY CO For the film's Manhattan, designers envisioned a city whose streets and skyline have been transformed by the scientific wonders enabled by the team's eggheaded leader Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal). In this alternate universe, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building share real estate with domed skyscrapers straight out of 1950s sci-fi pulp novels. The concept artists and set designers drew inspiration from Arthur Radebaugh's Closer Than We Think!, a newspaper comic strip that ran from 1958 to 1963 and envisioned such hopeful possibilities as rocket-powered mail carriers and mining expeditions on the moon . 'The comics are very pulpy, very over the top,' Farahani said. 'But they were trying to show that these things were not just fantasy, and there was always some tenuous link to current technological discoveries.' The film-makers also installed a monorail system that runs through midtown, and billboards and signage that reflect a world in which the Fantastic Four are not just superheroes, but celebrity shills and stars of their own Saturday morning cartoon. Period-accurate billboards for Canada Dry and Wrigley's Spearmint gum share the borough with a faux billboard for Coppertone ('official sun lotion of the Fantastic Four!') starring a bare-bottomed Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. PHOTO: THE WALT DISNEY CO. On the street, the prop department mixed period cars – a Ford pickup, a classic Volkswagen Beetle – and vintage New York checker cabs with one-person bubble cars created by the film's vehicles crew. 'There's a nice contrast that comes from taking the fantasy of all these superheroes and creating a world that seems plausible and relatable to ours,' Farahani said. NYTIMES
Business Times
4 days ago
- Business Times
‘Fantastic Four' stretches lead to second week at North American box office
[LOS ANGELES] The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Disney's debut of the rebooted Marvel Comics franchise, continued to outperform the competition for a second straight weekend at the North American box office, industry estimates showed on Sunday. Actor-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn star as the titular team of superheroes, who must save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus. The film pulled in an estimated US$40 million in the Friday-through-Sunday period, a 66 per cent drop from the prior weekend, for a two-week global total of US$368 million. Universal's family-friendly animation sequel The Bad Guys 2, about a squad of goofy animal criminals actually doing good in their rebranded lives, debuted in second spot, earning US$22.2 million. 'This is a good opening for an animation follow-up sequel,' said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. The film edged out Paramount's reboot of Naked Gun, a slapstick comedy starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, son of the bumbling police lieutenant from the original 1980s movie and related television series Police Squad! A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up It pulled in US$17 million in its opening weekend. Superman, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios, slipped from second to fourth at US$13.9 million, Exhibitor Relations said. That puts the global take of the film, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, at US$551 million. Jurassic World: Rebirth - the latest instalment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga - finished in fifth place with US$8.7 million. Its worldwide total stands at US$765 million after five weeks in theatres. Independent horror film Together, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by Neon, claimed sixth spot in its debut weekend with US$6.8 million. 'This is a very good opening for an indie horror pic,' Gross said. Rounding out the top 10 were: F1: The Movie (US$4.1 million) I Know What You Did Last Summer (US$2.7 million) Smurfs (US$1.8 million) How to Train Your Dragon (US$1.4 million). AFP
