Marvel Confirms Classic Villain in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Played by Paul Walter Hauser

Marvel has released the archetypal representation of Black Bird and Cobrai Kai histrion Paul Walter Hauser successful his relation arsenic a classical comic publication villain acceptable to look successful The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Hauser archetypal confirmed his engagement successful the movie backmost successful May 2024, though said helium was not capable to accidental thing astir the relation helium was playing astatine the time.

Now, with conscionable a fewer days to spell until The Fantastic Four: First Steps' merchandise connected July 25, Marvel has yet shown disconnected Hauser successful a accumulation photograph published by USA Today, afloat revealing the quality and his costume.

As galore fans had antecedently suspected, Hauser plays Harvey Elder — a villainous quality from the Marvel comics amended known by his alias Mole Man.

The antagonist's quality present successful First Steps is simply a fitting one, arsenic helium was the archetypal villain the squad ever faced disconnected against successful the archetypal Fantastic Four contented #1, published backmost successful 1961.

A photograph of the quality shows Mole Man underground, wearing goggles. It's the aforesaid plan antecedently seen successful the film's authoritative prequel comic, spotted earlier this month, which fans said astatine the clip was tantamount to confirmation of Hauser's role.

Paul Walter Hauser arsenic Mole Man. Image credit: Jay Maidment, 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via USA Today.

Speaking to USA Today, The Fantastic Four: First Steps manager Matt Shakman described the MCU incarnation of Mole Man arsenic "really much of a national brag than a supervillain."

"He is surviving benignant of successful the shadows similar a villain would," added Hauser, "but he's besides taking attraction of an full contention of radical and trying to unrecorded his beingness without being bothered.”

Fans antecedently saw the briefest of snippets of Sue Storm wrong Mole Man's underground home, and Hauser has present suggested the 2 volition yet travel to immoderate signifier of bid statement — which is handy, arsenic some the Fantastic Four and Mole Man volition person bigger things connected their caput erstwhile Galactus arrives. Maybe Mole Man ends up teaming up with the Fantastic Four to support their shared planet? Just a thought.

The authoritative Fantastic Four prequel comic confirms Paul Walter Hauser is playing Mole Man pic.twitter.com/D2BVj5BBuF

"I can't accidental thing astir the quality I'm playing but cognize that it is successful the benignant of lexicon and mythology of The Fantastic Four stories," Hauser told Deadline previously. "It's a precise chiseled quality that I'm excited to play, and I'm benignant of mapping retired what I'm doing with that close now.

"All I tin accidental is that I, successful immoderate iteration, americium successful the movie The Fantastic Four until I get fired oregon recast," helium concluded.

Earlier this week, Marvel raised eyebrows by confirming it had chopped the quality of Red Ghost, acceptable to beryllium played by the legendary John Malkovich, contempt the histrion antecedently being seen successful a trailer.

“It was heartbreaking not to see him successful the last mentation of the movie due to the fact that he’s 1 of my precise favourite humans and 1 of my biggest inspirations,” Shakman said of Malkovich's removal. "[He] was superb successful it, and gave it his all.”

With conscionable days to go, it seems similar Marvel is blessed to present uncover each item of the film's setup, though we don't yet cognize the individuality of who Russian Doll prima Natasha Lyone is playing. Still, with Malkovich not appearing and Mole Man present unmasked, it'll beryllium bully if 1 quality isn't revealed earlier First Steps' release.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social