The Marvel Character You Forgot Ebon Moss-Bachrach Played Before Fantastic Four's Thing

As the MCU continues to evolve, the chances of a star returning in multiple roles are increasing. Over the years, a few actors have appeared in different parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" has (re)gained another one in the form of Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

In the new film centered on Marvel's First Family, "The Bear" star is taking on the role of Ben Grimm, also known as the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing. As the team's grumpy yet lovable muscle in the quartet, Moss-Bachrach is a perfect fit, especially after seeing his work on the culinary stress test of a show. However, it was in 2017 that he appeared in Netflix's gritty, blood-splattered series, "The Punisher," as David Lieberman, also known as Micro.

Appearing in the first season, Lieberman was a former NSA analyst who enlisted the help of Frank Castle (Moss-Bachrach's future co-star, Jon Bernthal) to pursue the men who also happened to be responsible for the murder of The Punisher's family. Since then, Frank has become a more prominent figure in the MCU, appearing in "Daredevil: Born Again" and confirmed to be working on a standalone Special Presentation. He will also join Tom Holland's Spider-Man in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," marking the first time this version of The Punisher will arrive on the big screen. As for Moss-Bachrach's character, Micro, he hasn't been seen since, and it's unlikely he will be again; however, that hasn't stopped the new and upcoming Thing from acknowledging a very special honor he's lucky enough to carry.

So many Hollywood stars have not only inhabited characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but also been lucky enough to wander around in multiple areas of worlds they both created. In Ebon Moss-Bachrach's case, however, he has a rare perk that even those who brought more than one MCU to life don't have, in that both of the characters he played have a deeper connection to Lee and Kirby.

In the case of his part in "The Punisher," Moss-Bacrach's character's name was a direct reference to Stan the Man, as revealed to Entertainment Weekly. "I think it's cool that Micro is named David Lieberman, who takes his last name from Stan Lee," the actor explained. "Then Ben Grimm is this Kirby amalgamation. So, in my brief two portrayals of Marvel characters, I've hit the two big guys. It's a deep honor that I take to heart."

Given how involved The Thing will be in the MCU with not only "First Steps" but also "Avengers: Doomsday," it feels a safe bet that we won't see the return of Micro. We can only hope, though, that if Frank Castle ever crosses paths with The Fantastic Four, The Thing and The Punisher give each other a second look, before clobberin' time commences.