Original ‘Fantastic Four’ Star Michael Chiklis Sends His Support to ‘First Steps’ Cast: “Best of Luck”

Michael Chiklis passes the torch with a heartfelt message to the new Fantastic Four: First Steps cast ahead of the MCU reboot’s release.

Two decades after suiting up as Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four, Michael Chiklis is showing nothing but love for the next generation of Marvel’s First Family. In a message posted to X (formerly Twitter), Chiklis offered his full support to the cast and crew of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which hits theaters July 25.

“I want to thank everyone for all the Fantastic Four love this last couple of months during the run up to the new ‘F4’ flick,” Chiklis wrote. “Speaking of which, I want to wish the cast and crew of First Steps the best of luck and success. I admire these actors and look forward to seeing them take on these iconic roles. #F4Forever #TheThing”

Chiklis famously portrayed the rock-skinned Thing in 20th Century Fox’s 2005 Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. Though the franchise was rebooted (and widely criticized) in 2015, the upcoming First Steps marks the character’s official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach now steps into Chiklis’ former role, joining Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch). The film, directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision), is set in 1960s Manhattan—the same decade Marvel Comics introduced the team—and serves as a retro-stylized origin story.

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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Quinn emphasized how this new take on Johnny Storm reflects shifting cultural attitudes. “He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so,” Quinn said. “This version of Johnny is less callous with other people’s feelings, and hopefully there’s a self-awareness about what’s driving that attention-seeking behavior.”

Fantastic Four: First Steps will also introduce Ralph Ineson as the cosmic villain Galactus, Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal), with supporting roles from Paul Walter Hauser and Natasha Lyonne.

The film is penned by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, continuing Marvel’s push into genre storytelling and legacy-building within its multiverse. For fans of the franchise—old and new—Chiklis’ message feels like the perfect bridge between eras.