Exploring The Thing's Latest Appearance in Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 4
Robert Guerrero
Updated on May 17, 2026
Published on April 29, 2026, this article delves into the evolving portrayal of The Thing within Marvel's television landscape. Felipe Rangel, a seasoned journalist with ScreenRant, shares his insights on the character's journey from comics to screen, highlighting his enduring appeal as a superhero icon.
With a background in journalism and a passion for superhero narratives, Rangel brings a unique perspective to the discussion. His analysis covers recent adaptations, including the character's latest incarnation in Spidey and his Amazing Friends Season 4, where he dons a modern, one-piece suit that blends functionality with visual flair.
The piece examines how this contemporary design contrasts with earlier interpretations, such as the retro-futuristic look seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It also highlights the character's narrative significance, bridging comic book lore with animated storytelling.
Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of The Thing's cinematic and televised evolution, enriched by Rangel's expertise and enthusiasm for the genre.
Costume Evolution and Narrative Role
Spider-Man and The Thing in Spidey and his Amazing Friends season 4
The Thing's latest appearance in the Marvel series comes in the form of Spidey and his Amazing Friends season 4, episode 16, "A Helping Handful." In the Spider-Man TV show, the hero wears a Fantastic Four team uniform that is a one-piece suit. The design is modern and sleek, mixing different shades of blue and black to create a visually appealing superhero costume.
As with the Fantastic Four's regular suits, The Thing's costume is instantly recognizable by the inclusion of the "4" on his chest. The choice to make the suit sleeveless and have short shorts enhances the contrast between the blue superhero suit and The Thing's orange, rock-like skin. In the show, Ben Grimm has worn variations of this suit, with one including a space helmet.
Spidey and his Amazing Friends season 4 follows the show's Water Webs arc, with pirate-themed locations, stories, costumes, and characters. While The Thing does not get in on the theme through his suit in his latest Marvel appearance, the Fantastic Four character helps Spider-Man stop Rhino and an out-of-control H.E.R.B.I.E., whose damaged wires caused him to go on a stealing spree with the Spidey villain.
Comparative Analysis Across Media
John Krasinski sat in Illuminati chamber as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduced the team's main superhero uniforms, which looked quite different from the suit The Thing wears in Spidey and his Amazing Friends season 4. In the MCU movie, the costume is made to fit with the film's retro-futuristic aesthetic. As such, the material does not look like spandex, and the suit mixes large white sections with light blue. The Spider-Man TV show design is far too modern in comparison to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with darker colors and looking busier than the rather simple, clean movie look.
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In live-action, John Krasinski's Fantastic Four suit from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the one that looks the closest to The Thing's from Spidey and his Amazing Friends. Like the animated character, Krasinski's Reed Richards also donned a modern and sleek Fantastic Four suit that mixed blue and black, with lines on his sides. While the live-action suit gave Reed pants and had other differences from the Spider-Man TV show costume, both of them felt very close in tone and delivery.
Explore cast details and viewing options below.
- Melanie Minichino as Aunt May (voice)
- Jakari Fraser as Miles Morales / Spider-Man (voice)
Where to watch
Streaming- Available on Disney+
- Physical media available
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