'Fantastic Four' Movie News, Rumors: The Thing Photo Leaked by Fox

By Dondi Tiples, Christian Post Contributor Friday, March 27, 2015

20th Century Fox inadvertently leaked the public's first look at The Thing from their late summer reboot of the "Fantastic Four."

In what is described as a mismanaged reveal, fans of the Marvel superhero group the "Fantastic Four" got their first look at The Thing via an overseas outdoor billboard erected before the official release of the reboot film's imagery.

The billboard, which features all of the four major characters of the remake, with particular emphasis on The Thing, played by Jamie Bell as Ben Grim, appeared on the Instagram account of @albertoheineken26, who had his photo taken in front of the billboard.

The international exposure of the supersized movie poster, which was criticized by American fans as poorly rendered based on the grainy Instagram photo, negates all efforts director Josh Trank and the rest of the cast have taken to keep as many details in the bag as possible before the release of the movie's official images.

With the secret out online, Fox has additionally been accused of mismanaging media and promotions for the film, which is due out in theaters on Aug. 7.

In the billboard, The Thing is revealed as looking realistically gritty and dark, surrounded by a very boyish-looking Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, a strangely cobbled-together head and torso representing Kate Mara as Invisible Woman, and Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch, who appears to be one of the district tributes directly plucked out from "The Hunger Games" fire chariot parade sequence.

Not shown on the billboard is Victor Domashev, or Dr. Doom, who is being played by "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" actor Toby Kebbell.

With the image out in the open, 20th Century Fox's only other option is to release a better quality official image of the four Marvel superheroes, as well as a new teaser trailer to offset the overseas leak in a middling quality outdoor billboard.