50 God-Tier Acting Moments Buried in Bad Movies
13. Michael Chiklis - Fantastic Four
Neither of Tim Story's two Fantastic Four movies were much good in the end - though they do look like Citizen Kane next to Josh Trank's 2015 film! - but there is one glowing positive that mustn't be forgotten: Michael Chiklis' stellar performance as The Thing/Ben Grimm. His performance in these movies is a reminder of just what a terrible shame it is that Chiklis, who is best known for his fantastic lead performance in the groundbreaking crime drama The Shield, has never found much success in film.
Chiklis had always been a fan of the Fantastic Four comics and longed to play the role of the Thing; this passion comes through in the end product and then some. Not only did Chiklis forgo CGI and get into an uncomfortable, restrictive costume every day of filming, but he was a joy to watch every step of the way.
As well as being hilarious, Chiklis movingly portrayed Ben's heartbreak over his transformation, and his storyline was the only thing in the duology that landed on an emotional level. The recently released The Fantastic Four: First Steps was vastly superior to any of the other Fantastic Four movies, and yet, although Ebon Moss-Bachrach did really well as The Thing, even his admirable work couldn't quite match Chiklis. If he were ever able to come back to the role, as Chris Evans did as Johny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, the response would most likely be a standing ovation.