Fantastic Four: Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach on juggling The Bear and The Thing
He may not be the loudest name on the poster, but Ebon Moss-Bachrach might just be Marvel's most inspired casting choice yet.
Known for his raw, emotionally charged performance in the Emmy-winning series The Bear, the 48-year-old New Yorker is stepping into an entirely different kind of chaos, playing Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing, in Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
With the film marking the official kick-off to phase six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, anticipation has been off the charts.
But while much of the early buzz has swirled around big ticket names like Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, it's Moss-Bachrach's grounded, gritty take on a rock-covered superhero that's shaping up to be one of the film's most intriguing talking points.
'I really wanted to try to honour and fight for the character,' he says from a Sydney hotel during the film's global press tour.
'You feel that responsibility, and you feel how much it means to people and that's inspiring.
'I wanted to give it as much dignity and strength as I could, and you have to inhabit them the best you can. As soon as you start making [it], as soon as you're in the scene, all that kind of stuff goes away. There's no time for that, to think about those things.'
Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Vanessa Kirby of "]The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Sydney this week. Picture: Getty Images
After a dodgy unreleased effort in 1994, two moderate successes in 2005 and 2007 and a big-budget bomb in 2015, this iteration of Marvel Comics' much loved characters is styled with a retro-futuristic lens and set in an alternate 1960s-inspired universe.
Alongside Moss-Bachrach is Joseph Quinn, fresh off his Stranger Things fame, playing Johnny Storm (also known as the Human Torch).
Following in the footsteps of Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan in the original films, Quinn acknowledged the high expectations, but insisted this version stands on its own.
'I don't think any interpretation of any character is in opposition to any previous interpretation,' Quinn says.
'I think, in its very nature, it is going to be different because it's coming from a different actor.'
Pedro Pascal. Picture: Getty Images
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantantastic. Picture: Marvel
He recalled watching the 2005 and 2015 adaptations growing up. 'Chris Evans so brilliantly played Johnny Storm in those films … it's just, this is a new chapter, and it's a new interpretation and I'm very excited to be a part of it.'
But while Quinn may be newer to the scene, Moss-Bachrach has been slowly and deliberately building a career that spans indie dramas, off beat comedies, and period pieces.
From early appearances in John Adams and Girls, to acclaimed turns in series like The Punisher, Moss-Bachrach's resume reads like a masterclass in restraint and emotional nuance.
His portrayal of Richie in The Bear has been lauded by critics for capturing vulnerability, rage, grief, and joy in one character and even earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was nominated again this week for the same role in the most recent season.
Vanessa Kirby at the Sydney premiere. Picture: Getty Images
This year, Ebon Moss-Bachrach has been just about everywhere.
Between The Bear and Fantastic Four, he has barely had time to slow down, though he did manage the occasional breather.
'We shot this movie for a long time,' Moss-Bachrach says, referring to Fantastic Four: First Steps.
'I did have a little bit of a break, but there was also a period of time when I was on double duty and going back and forth between Chicago and London, where we shot Fantastic Four.'
He described the contrast between his two biggest projects.
'The Bear is a small set. It's mostly in one location. It's very much actor and writer driven,' he says.
'And this … we're such a sort of small bit. There's so many other departments on this, with visual effects and so much. We're [part of] such a bigger world.'
Despite the difference in scale, the emotional foundation remained key.
For Moss-Bachrach, the success of the film hinged on the family dynamic between the four leads.
'It's been an absolute dream,' he explains.
'It's been so nice. You know, there's just four of us. We have a lot of love between us. I think if even one of us was sort of outside, the movie wouldn't work the way it does. And I think if the movie does work, a large part of that is because of the respect and love and admiration that we share.'
Quinn echoes the sentiment. 'While there are many bright things about this process, that's been, the overriding gift of it is being able to spend time with Ebon, Vanessa, and Pedro.'
The chemistry between the cast appears to be a driving force behind the film's tone, a blend of nostalgia, emotional intimacy, and superhero spectacle.
Joseph Quinn. Picture: Getty Images
'So much of the nostalgia is delivered through the art department and the writing and the circumstances and the sets and everything,' Moss-Bachrach says.
'I think our jobs are really to try to bring … our hearts and bring our openness and vulnerability and share in this and our love for each other as a family. I feel like that was our job.'
As Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps prepares to hit cinemas on July 25, anticipation is sky high.
The franchise has long been a cornerstone of Marvel lore, introducing Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm to the comic world in 1961, and now it's been re-imagined for a new era.
Pedro Pascal leads as Mister Fantastic, with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, and a tight knit cast is what fans are hoping is finally the successful launch the franchise deserves.
Meanwhile, Joseph Quinn has had no shortage of high profile roles, including a spot in Gladiator II, but he insists it hasn't gone to his head.
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'No, it doesn't [feel like things have gone into hyperspeed]. I feel grateful. I feel grateful to be working with people that I admire.'
As for Moss-Bachrach, after juggling two wildly different productions and emerging as a central figure in both, he is ready to take a breath.
After all the madness, he's got one thing on his mind – a holiday.
'I'm going to Greece with my family,' Moss-Bachrach says with a smile.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in cinemas on July 24. Read the full interviews in Stellar on Friday, in today's papers.
The latest issue of Stellar is out on Sunday via The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland) and Sunday Mail (SA).
Originally published as 'You feel that responsibility': How Ebon Moss-Bachrach juggled The Bear and Marvel's Fantastic Four
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