Paul Walter Hauser's Fantastic Four Movie Character Might Be A Huge Marvel Villain
"Fantastic Four" is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most interesting upcoming projects. The franchise has been revolving around past, future, and current Avengers for quite a long time. While there are rumors that Marvel will sideline the Avengers for the X-Men after "Avengers: Secret Wars," the MCU would likely benefit from at least one other major super team around. As a longtime Marvel cornerstone, the Fantastic Four have everything it takes to be that team ... and with the addition of Paul Walter Hauser, the movie's cast is getting mightily stacked.
Hauser joins Marvel's "Fantastic Four" cast in an undisclosed role, but a quick dive into the lore reveals that the perfect role for him would be none other than classic Marvel villain Harvey "Mole Man" Elder. Hauser isn't the kind of actor you hire for a blink-and-you-miss-it part; Netflix viewers might best remember him rocking out to his surprisingly meaningful theme song as Stingray on "Cobra Kai," but the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actor is a true powerhouse performer who can effortlessly alternate between everything from deep nuance to pure comic relief.
The four main roles of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm are occupied by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, respectively, so if Hauser plays an ally, he'll most likely be voicing HERBIE, the team's robot sidekick. Assuming it's not a voice role, there's little denying that the combination of pathos, danger, and comedic elements Mole Man and his subterranean giants bring into the mix would be right up the actor's alley.
Mole Man would be a great starter villain for the MCU Fantastic Four
Mole Man may not be the most obvious villain for the MCU "Fantastic Four" movie because the superhero quartet has far more famous antagonists in their rogues gallery. While he might not have what it takes to be a full Big Bad, he would be a logical starter baddie for the MCU's iteration of the team since Mole Man is the first supervillain the Fantastic Four face in the comics. What's more, based on what we've seen of the film so far, "Fantastic Four" seems to embrace a fun retrofuturistic aesthetic, which also counts as a point for team Mole Man. After all, the subterranean monster-controlling antagonist's over-the-top concept and design might struggle in an overly realistic setting.
As it happens, industry insider Jeff Sneider has reported that "Fantastic Four" will open with a battle between Mole Man and the Fantastic Four, and he believes that Paul Walter Hauser is set to play the villain. This would make a great deal of sense on multiple levels. It would give Mole Man a major moment in the limelight while keeping his role in the movie relatively small. Per Sneider, it would also explain how Hauser has time to add another project to his plate. The actor is already attached to the "Naked Gun" reboot starring Liam Neeson, a biopic of comedian Chris Farley, and more. Such a workload would presumably prevent him from fitting an entire MCU production in his hectic schedule — but a quick stint as Mole Man might be another thing entirely.
To read more about the upcoming MCU blockbuster, check out 5 huge things the "Fantastic Four" cast reveal image tells us.