Fantastic Four 2025 Debuts The Thing’s ‘It’s Clobberin’ Time’ Catchphrase, But With a Twist

With an unexpected twist, a new look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps included The Thing's iconic "It's Clobberin' Time" catchphrase. The MCU's next movie is putting forth its best effort to deliver the definitive cinematic depictions of Marvel's First Family, with many fans expecting some of their iconic characteristics and traits from the comics to come into play.

A new trailer for Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps had Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm ask, "Is it Clobberin' Time?" While this line is most commonly associated with The Thing, the MCU's Human Torch had an opportunity to tease its inclusion in the movie as it inches closer to its release date.

At the 0:46 mark of the trailer, Quinn can be heard asking Ben Grimm if Clobberin' Time had come, to which Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Ben Grimm enthusiastically replied, "Oh, yeah!" However, it is unclear what is happening in the scene with this line, as it is dubbed over a shot of Ben sprinting through pillars to take down a building.

This is also a fun callback to 2005's original live-action Fantastic Four movie, which was released by 20th Century Fox. In that movie, Chris Evans' Johnny Storm (who later returned to the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine) excitedly showed Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm a prototype action figure of The Thing. Pushing a button, the toy exclaimed, "It's Clobberin' Time!," letting Johnny be the first person in that movie to deliver that line before Ben says it in the final battle.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (the MCU's first Phase 6 movie) will give Marvel Studios its first attempt at a film centered on the iconic quartet as they face the threat of Galactus in an alternate reality. Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic) and Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman) complete the team next to Quinn and Moss-Bachrach, and they are joined by Ralph Ineson's Galactus, Julia Garner's Silver Surfer, and more. The Fantastic Four: First Steps will debut in theaters on July 25. 

Hear Johnny say 'Its Clobberin Time' in the new Fantastic Four First Steps trailer below:

Will The Fantastic Four Use Other Iconic Catchphrases & Moments?

Along with events from the comics that have never been depicted on screen (such as the inclusion of the baby Franklin Richards), fans expect to see much of what made the Fantastic Four so beloved over the last 60 years in this movie. This includes hopefully hearing Ben Grimm say "It's Clobberin' Time" himself, especially after Moss-Bachrach tried hard to get it in the film.

Like The Thing's line, fans also anticipate hearing Joseph Quinn's utter "Flame On!" After trailers have shown some of the best footage in Marvel history of the Human Torch taking flight, having that iconic line come in with the flying should only complete the picture for one of Marvel's most popular heroes.

With less than two months remaining until The Fantastic Four arrives, Marvel is sure to ramp up the movie's marketing campaign soon. To entice fans to get their tickets, Marvel is teasing some of the film's biggest moments and lines. While the hope is that this marketing campaign will be as spoiler-free as possible, lines like the ones already revealed will build up the hype for what could be one of the MCU's most exciting films in recent memory.