What is Ben Grimm's profession in 2007's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"?

Ben Grimm is an astronaut for NASA in 2007’s “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Before becoming the rocky superhero known as the Thing, Grimm serves as the team’s pilot and has a NASA background.

Grimm’s astronaut role connects him to Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm. Their earlier space mission exposed them to cosmic radiation, transforming all four into the Fantastic Four. Ben’s mutation is the most physically dramatic: his body becomes covered in orange, rock-like tissue, giving him extraordinary strength and durability.

A common mix-up is calling Ben merely a soldier, bodyguard, or pilot. He is certainly an experienced pilot, but “astronaut for NASA” is the broader profession recognized by the film’s backstory and Fantastic Four lore. Another frequent confusion is between Ben Grimm and Reed Richards: Reed is the scientist and mission leader, while Ben is the pilot and astronaut who becomes the Thing.