The latest trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps has revealed an intriguing detail that’s got Marvel fans theorizing: Ben Grimm’s distinctive rock beard. This isn’t simply a cosmetic choice or a sign that The Thing has been neglecting his grooming routine. Instead, this facial hair formation appears to be a deliberate reference to one of the most acclaimed storylines in Fantastic Four comic history, suggesting that the upcoming MCU film will explore complex concepts of time dilation and interdimensional travel.
The rock beard serves as a visual clue that Ben Grimm may experience significant time displacement during the events of the film, emerging from wormhole travel fundamentally changed. This theory draws from both comic book precedent and the scientific concepts that director Matt Shakman and producer Kevin Feige have indicated will play crucial roles in the movie’s plot.
The Comic Book Connection: Fantastic Four #605
Jonathan Hickman’s Time-Displaced Thing
The inspiration for Ben’s beard comes directly from Fantastic Four #605 by Jonathan Hickman and Ron Garney, published in 2012. This storyline features a fascinating exploration of time dilation effects on The Thing, showing how his rocky physiology ages differently when exposed to temporal distortion.
In Hickman’s narrative, Reed Richards teams up with his father, Nathaniel Richards—not the distant descendant who becomes Kang the Conqueror, but Reed’s actual father who became a time traveler working with the Brotherhood of the Shield in the 1950s alongside Howard Stark. This Nathaniel takes Reed on a journey through time to the year 3012, where they discover Ben Grimm in a drastically different state.
The Slow Aging Phenomenon
The comic reveals that Ben only ages one week physically per year due to his unique physiology and exposure to cosmic radiation. In the far future, Reed and Nathaniel find Ben still alive and working alongside Reed’s son Franklin Richards in the Future Foundation. Franklin, as an omega-level mutant and reality warper, has achieved immortality and continues to collaborate with the time-displaced Thing.
When the time travelers jump ahead to various future points—including the years 4012 and 5012—they encounter Ben sporting the now-iconic rock beard, a visual representation of the extensive time that has passed and the unique way his rocky form processes temporal changes.
The Science Behind the Theory
Wormholes vs. Black Holes: Understanding the Physics
The latest promotional materials for Fantastic Four: First Steps have provided crucial evidence supporting the time dilation theory. The extended trailer shows Ben piloting the Excelsior ship away from the Silver Surfer through what appears to be a wormhole—a theoretical structure also known as an Einstein-Rosen bridge.
Wormholes represent theoretical bridges through spacetime that bend the fabric of reality, creating shortcuts that could theoretically allow for both space and time travel. Unlike black holes, which are proven cosmic phenomena that trap everything including light, wormholes remain theoretical constructs that could potentially serve as passages through different points in spacetime.
The Proxima Deli Connection
Recent promotional materials and scene descriptions have revealed a planet called Proxima Deli, which appears central to the Fantastic Four’s encounter with Galactus. According to reports, Reed Richards discovers Galactus’s existence by finding this planet missing from his star charts, telling his team that this system “with a planet similar to our own” has mysteriously vanished.
The new trailer footage shows Galactus’s ship Taa II in the process of destroying a planet, with the cosmic entity’s vessel appearing as a massive pill-shaped structure with jagged metallic extensions resembling jellyfish tendrils. These appendages allow the ship to latch onto and consume planets by boring directly through them.
The Time Travel Mission Theory
Why the Fantastic Four Would Risk Time Dilation
The evidence suggests that the Fantastic Four will use wormhole technology to travel back in time to witness Proxima Deli’s destruction firsthand. This mission would serve multiple purposes: gathering intelligence about Galactus’s capabilities, understanding his methods, and potentially staging a surprise attack on the world-devouring entity.
However, time travel through wormholes carries significant risks, particularly the phenomenon of time dilation. Just as astronauts in films like Interstellar and Planet of the Apes return from space travel with dramatic physical changes indicating temporal displacement, Ben’s rock beard would serve as visual proof that he has experienced significant time passage during his journey.
Ben as the Test Pilot
The theory suggests that Ben Grimm will serve as a test pilot for the wormhole technology, similar to how Scott Lang experienced various aging effects during the “time heists” in Avengers: Endgame. When Ben emerges from his test flight through the wormhole, his newly grown rock beard would demonstrate that the time dilation effects are real and measurable.
This visual storytelling technique would provide audiences with immediate, understandable evidence that time travel has occurred without requiring extensive exposition about the scientific principles involved.
Visual Evidence in the Trailers
Multiple Beard Appearances
The rock beard appears in several key scenes throughout the promotional materials:
- Flying sequence: When Johnny Storm uses his flame powers to propel The Thing through the air, showcasing the impressive teamwork between the siblings-in-law
- Street chase: During the ground-level action sequence where Ben runs alongside Reed and Johnny through what appears to be an urban environment
- Building demolition: When The Thing plows through concrete pillars, apparently attempting to collapse a structure as part of a strategy to impede Galactus
These appearances suggest that the time dilation event occurs relatively early in the film, with Ben carrying the visual evidence of his temporal displacement throughout subsequent action sequences.
The Broader Implications
Hickman’s Influence on the MCU
Director Matt Shakman and producer Kevin Feige have publicly acknowledged their close study of Jonathan Hickman’s acclaimed run on Fantastic Four. This creative team’s work revolutionized the property by introducing complex scientific concepts, family dynamics, and cosmic-scale storytelling that elevated the characters beyond simple superhero adventures.
The inclusion of Ben’s rock beard represents more than just a visual Easter egg—it signals the MCU’s commitment to adapting the sophisticated storytelling elements that made Hickman’s run so compelling to comic book readers.
Setting Up Future Storylines
The time dilation concept could establish important groundwork for future MCU storylines involving temporal mechanics, interdimensional travel, and cosmic-level threats. By introducing these concepts through the relatively straightforward visual of Ben’s beard, the film can lay the foundation for more complex narratives involving time travel and multiverse exploration.
Conclusion
The rock beard adorning Ben Grimm’s face in Fantastic Four: First Steps represents far more than a simple design choice. It serves as a visual testament to the film’s ambitious approach to adapting complex comic book concepts, drawing directly from Jonathan Hickman’s acclaimed storylines while introducing sophisticated scientific principles to MCU audiences.
Through the clever use of time dilation effects demonstrated by Ben’s altered appearance, the film can explore themes of sacrifice, consequence, and the price of heroism without requiring extensive exposition. The beard becomes a silent storyteller, conveying the passage of time and the risks the Fantastic Four face in their cosmic adventures.
As we await the film’s release, Ben Grimm’s rock beard stands as a promising indicator that Fantastic Four: First Steps will honor the intellectual complexity and emotional depth that has made the property a cornerstone of Marvel Comics for over six decades. The Thing’s facial hair may be the key to understanding just how far this first family of Marvel is willing to go to protect not just Earth, but the entire universe.
Whether this theory proves accurate remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the attention to detail in adapting specific comic book elements suggests that fans are in for a treat when Fantastic Four: First Steps finally arrives in theaters.
