The latest showdown between Fantastic Four's primary muscle Ben Grimm aka the Thing and the team's sworn arch-nemesis Doctor Doom took place in the convention halls of New York City's Jacob Javits' Center, rather than the streets of Times Square or Latveria, in an incredible cosplay at this year's New York Comic-Con.
Upon their first fateful encounter in the dormitories of State University, Victor Von Doom instantly hated Ben Grimm, a feeling that endured from that moment through their eventual roles as supervillain and superhero, respectively. Unlike Doom's intellectual rival and Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, Ben's super heroic alter ego the Thing often pits his massive brawn against Doctor Doom... and occasionally comes out on top. Even standing alone without the rest of the Fantastic Four does not lower the Thing's enthusiasm or valor in facing off against Doom at all, as their battles would often become some of the most memorable within Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's signature Fantastic Four comic run.
Now, professional cosplayer and Fantastic Four aficionado Marc Kandel (@marc.kandel) has taken the opportunity to reimagine the thrill of those iconic fight scenes between Thing and Doctor Doom for an entirely new generation of comic book fans. At New York City's annual New York Comic Con in early October, many of the fans in attendance were privy to some truly imaginative costumes, including Thing vs. Doctor Doom. A video captured by Twitter user Now: Marvel80sCovers shows the two coming to blows. Kandel himself portrays the ruler of Latveria himself Doctor Doom, while fellow cosplayer Levi James (@misterabsfitness) stands in as Doom's opponent the Thing. Outfitted with his signature Fantastic Four trademarked blue trunks, this armored Thing (complete with a moveable jaw and a multitude of flexibility) is translated as if he directly leaped off the comic page. The armored Doctor Doom receives a comic-accurate design as well and pulls off a traditional look that two decades of the villain on the big screen could not even accomplish.
This Cosplay Proves The Next Live-Action Thing Should Not Be CGI
Unlike most modern superhero films, the first two critically panned Fantastic Four films from director Tim Story and even Roger Corman's unreleased Fantastic Four film treated Grimm's Thing as a non-CGI character, instead choosing to rely on practical creature effects. Not unlike CGI, Kandel and James opt to transition to massive body armor for both their characters in a way that cannot be replicated with a fan simply spray-painting their body or wearing a muscle suit. Only time will tell what route the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will take with the Thing and Doctor Doom in the coming years.
Though they may operate on opposing sides of the law, both James' Thing and Kandel's Doom are a part of "The NYC Fantastic Four," a cosplay group dedicated to strengthening creativity and their community. It's clear that this Fantastic Four-inspired cosplay group really made the greatest effort in creating a design that would ultimately achieve the Thing's massive stature and size needed to take on the notorious Doctor Doom.
Sources: Now: Marvel80sCovers, Marc Kandel