EntertainmentMoviesSuperhero MoviesFantastic FourOppenheimer actor says he “begged” The Fantastic Four director to cast him as The Thing: “Obviously that didn’t happen"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesSuperhero MoviesFantastic FourOppenheimer actor says he “begged” The Fantastic Four director to cast him as The Thing: “Obviously that didn’t happen"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Oppenheimer’s David Krumholtz says he “begged"The Fantastic Fourdirector Matt Shakman to cast him as The Thing.
In a new interview withEntertainment Weekly, the actor, who previously appeared in titles such as Addams Family Values and The Santa Clause, opened up about his childhood obsession withMarvel Comics, which led to him recalling meeting the aforementioned filmmaker – a get-together that only happened thanks to a tweet that was only live for two hours.
“I was embarrassed,” Krumholtz remembered. “My post said, ‘I just want to be in the conversation.’ And it was a picture of the Thing, and Matt saw it somehow. And I had a meeting with him and we discussed it. And I’ve never been so bold in a meeting before, just begging for the role, just straight up selling the shit out of it, the idea of how committed and passionate I was for it. But obviously that didn’t happen.”
He went on to say that while he was desperate to nab the part, he has no ill will towards The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who wasconfirmed as Marvel Studios' Ben Grimm in an unexpected Valentine’s Day-themed casting announcementearlier this month. Instead, Krumholtz has set his sights on playing another character in Marvel history: Fantastic Four’s first-ever antagonist Mole Man.
(Image credit: Marvel)

“I’ll do anything Marvel tells me to. I’ll probably end up playing like a superhero’s therapist. Let’s face it,” he joked. “There’s slim pickings for guys like me in that world, unfortunately. I’m old and I’m not in any kind of acceptable shape. So we’ll see how that works out, if it works out at all.”
The Fantastic Four is set to release on July 25, 2025. While we wait, check out our guide toMarvel Phase 5and our breakdown of all theupcoming Marvel moviesheading our way.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”