Fantastic Four: Paul Walter Hauser Reveals He Was Hesitant to Join Marvel Movie

A lot of casting news for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four came out in May, including the announcement that Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Cruella) had joined the cast in an unknown role. The Emmy-winning actor recently teased that he’s playing “a very distinct character” that he is “excited to play.” In a new conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor revealed why he was initially hesitant to take the role. 

“Don’t think that didn’t weigh in as I was deciding whether or not to take the job,” Hauser explained. “That movie has not fully been nailed just yet … But I really do think the combination of the screenplay, and the department heads that are working on the film, and that classy cast of really exciting actors – some of them known for a long time, and some of them having a moment right now – [make me feel that] this movie is special, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Who Is Paul Walter Hauser Playing in The Fantastic Four?

Currently, it is unclear who Hauser is playing in the Marvel film, but there is a lot of speculation ranging from Mole Man to H.E.R.B.I.E.

“I know what that question is leading to, which is the answer as to which character I’m to play. So all I can say is that I, in some iteration, am in the movie The Fantastic Four until I get fired or recast,” Hauser recently said to ScreenRant. “So I can’t say anything about the character I’m playing, but know that it is in the sort of lexicon and mythology of The Fantastic Four stories. And it’s a very distinct character that I’m excited to play and I’m kind of mapping out what I’m doing with that right now.”

Who Stars in The Fantastic Four?

In addition to Hauser, The Fantastic Four is set to star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The movie will also feature Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer, and John Malkovich in an unknown role. 

Matt Shakman is directing Fantastic Four, which is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. Shakman has previously said that the reboot will be much from previous attempts to bring Marvel’s first family to life on the big screen, 

“It’s different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific,” Shakman said. “I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

Stay tuned for more updates about The Fantastic Four.