Fantastic Four Spin-off Series Announced Ahead of MCU Debut

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Marvel has announced a new Fantastic Four limited series starring The Thing. The new comic series will launch mere months before Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters in 2025.

Tony Fleecs, who made his Marvel Comics debut earlier this year in Venom War: Wolverine #1, will write the new series, which features art by former Fantastic Four artist Leonard Kirk. The five-issue series shows Ben Grimm stepping away from The Fantastic Four and taking down a criminal conspiracy with ties to his childhood on Yancy Street. He will fight his way to the top as a “one-man clobberin’ machine,” with the story taking a twist when the villain puts a hit out on him, forcing Ben Grimm to battle a range of Marvel villains, including Bullseye and Juggernaut. The Thing #1 goes on sale March 5, 2025.

In announcing the series, Marvel unveiled the first episode’s main cover by Nick Bradshaw along with a variant cover by Greg Land that features Doctor Doom — hinting at the supervillain’s takeover of the Marvel Universe set to begin next year. The solicit for the series teases the mystery The Thing finds himself wrapped up in and how he comes to be on the run from vicious assassins.

THE THING #1 (OF 5)

Written by TONY FLEECS

Art by LEONARD KIRK

Cover by NICK BRADSHAW

Variant Cover by GREG LAND

Virgin Variant Cover by GREG LAND

On Sale March 5, 2025

“Ben Grimm may be the strongest member of The Fantastic Four, but once upon a time, he was just a scrawny kid from Yancy Street. When an unexpected visitor from his past sends him on a search for a missing child, the Thing must unravel the mystery, even if that means becoming a wanted man! Get ready to see the Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing versus every super-powered criminal and bounty hunter in New York City! Fleecs and Kirk give a glimpse into the history of the Thing that reminds you why Ben Grimm is the heart of the Marvel Universe… and why you don’t want to let him hear you say that!”

New Fantastic Four Series Is “Throwing Every Villain” at The Thing

Speaking in Marvel’s press release announcing The Thing, writer Tony Fleecs compared the character to a legendary writer in Marvel Comics and teased that the limited series will have The Fantastic Four character facing some unexpected enemies.

“What I love about Ben Grimm is that he’s just a regular hardworking guy—who happens to have superpowers. He’s Jack Kirby. He’s not easily impressed by all of the outlandish, cosmic stuff constantly going on around him,” Fleecs said. “The fun thing about this book is trying to figure out — ‘okay, then what WOULD surprise the Thing? What WOULD catch him off guard?’ In that spirit, we’re throwing every villain in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe at him. Trying to pit him against some opponents that you wouldn’t expect. We’ve got Leonard Kirk drawing The Thing! Believe me, you’re gonna see ol’ Benjy clobber some guys he’s never clobbered before.”

Kirk also spoke about what it was like returning to a Fantastic Four title. “It’s been a decade since my run on Fantastic Four, and I am thrilled as punch (pun intended) to be working on this series with everyone’s favorite orange, pugilistic paragon of heroism, Ben Grimm,” he said. “The villains he goes up against range from the — let’s just say, less than serious, to the absolutely iconic, and I am very much looking forward to drawing all of them. The first issue has already been a fun romp and I know I will love the rest.”

The Thing #1 goes on sale March 5, 2025, by Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel

“}]] Marvel announces a new Fantastic Four spin-off series launching arriving before Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters in 2025.  Read More