THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Still Reveals First Official Look At Paul Walter Hauser As Mole Man

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Still Reveals First Official Look At Paul Walter Hauser As Mole Man

Some new promo stills for Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps have been released, and they give us a first official look at Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man...

By MarkCassidy - Jul 17, 2025 06:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

When it was announced that Paul Walter Hauser had joined the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans immediately began to speculate that he might be playing the first foe the team ever faced on the page, Mole Man.

Now, USA Today has made it official with a first look at the Black Bird actor as the subterranean villain - although it sounds like he won't actually be a full-blown bad guy in this movie.

“He is living sort of in the shadows like a villain would, but he's also taking care of an entire race of people and trying to live his life without being bothered,” Hauser says of his character.

It seems Harvey Elder's beef with Marvel First Family will be political in nature.

“It's a power struggle, but within that, there are compromises and alliances made.” adds director Matt Shakman: “He's all about community, and that's why Sue and Harvey have a good relationship and they get along. They understand each other.”

Get your first look at Hauser as a (fairly) comic-accurate Mole Man at the link below.

First Steps stars Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, Freaky Tales) as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place Day One) as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Julia Garner (Wolf Man, Ozark) as the Silver Surfer.

Natasha Lyonne is also on board in an undisclosed role, but we recently learned that John Malkovich's Red Ghost has been cut from the movie.

"Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet.

Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal."

Matt Shakman directs The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

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AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/17/2025, 6:02 PM
Looking Great

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ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 7/17/2025, 6:02 PM
That's some good casting, the dude does comedy and drama pretty well.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 7/17/2025, 6:21 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - i wonder, given his outfit choice..are they making mole man kinda like the leader of a track suit mafia?
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/17/2025, 6:39 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - he does wear one in comics
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 7/17/2025, 6:41 PM
@CaptainFlapjaks - It does look goofy
supermanrex
supermanrex - 7/17/2025, 6:02 PM
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Spike101
Spike101 - 7/17/2025, 6:05 PM
He’s not really doing for me as the mole man to be honest, it looks like he’s wearing a tracksuit which doesn't help create the illusion.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 7/17/2025, 6:46 PM
@Spike101 - I like the actor but it’s like CW Mole Man
soberchimera
soberchimera - 7/17/2025, 6:06 PM
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ThorArms
ThorArms - 7/17/2025, 6:06 PM
He's definitely got the look. Not feeling the outfit though.
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/17/2025, 6:40 PM
@ThorArms - so brie Larson , and pedro as reed
roboticJohnson
roboticJohnson - 7/17/2025, 6:09 PM
Could have been better, without the glasses he just looks like a random guy you'd see in line at the grocery shop, with them he looks like someone who's about to tell you the earth is flat
thedrudo
thedrudo - 7/17/2025, 6:11 PM
@roboticJohnson - Wait... it isn't flat?
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/17/2025, 6:11 PM
Danny DeVito would have been perfection in the role.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 7/17/2025, 6:20 PM
@ObserverIO - Paul Giamatti too
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FusionWarrior
FusionWarrior - 7/17/2025, 6:11 PM
Behold the Mole Man!
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 7/17/2025, 6:13 PM
If the prequel comic we recently got is canon (which it should be since it’s supposedly also in universe aswell) then he was a villain who had it out for the surface world due to what he perceived as injustices against his underground dwellings & people but because of Sue brokering a peace between them , he’s reformed and become an ally to the FF.

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I don’t mind that take since it’s got in precedent in the comics where he oscillates between villain & ally so I’m fine with it…

Nice to finally see PWH in the role though (I like that he still has the glasses) since he’s perfect for it imo since he has strong dramatic & comedic chops aswell!!.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 7/17/2025, 6:16 PM
OT: Big Godzilla News round up
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-17/godzilla-studio-toho-plans-more-films-sequels-anime-and-jujutsu-kaisen

1: Minus One sequel could release next year.

2: Shin Godzilla sequel in the works

3 Southeast Asian Godzilla project in the works.
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 7/17/2025, 6:50 PM
@Godzilla2000Zer - Shin sequel plz
fanboy03191
fanboy03191 - 7/17/2025, 6:25 PM
Great actor but just adapt the full damn look. This is like the CW variant.
dragon316
dragon316 - 7/17/2025, 6:41 PM
@fanboy03191 - they did difference is he have white stripes comic is all green
CrimsonComet
CrimsonComet - 7/17/2025, 6:40 PM
With all the cheesy, ridiculous shit this movie's adapting a green cape was where they drew the line?

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ThorArms
ThorArms - 7/17/2025, 6:42 PM
@CrimsonComet - I think he's not in his villain phase in this movie. From what I've gathered he was a foe and now has learned to coexist with the rest of Earth and the F4. Maybe they'll show a flashback to when they battled.
WeaponXCII
WeaponXCII - 7/17/2025, 6:41 PM
The goggles look great, but... I really hope that this isn't the actual (final) costume.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 7/17/2025, 6:54 PM
Damn Erik Voss gained some weight
Nomis929
Nomis929 - 7/17/2025, 7:23 PM
Where?
Nonameforme
Nonameforme - 7/17/2025, 7:33 PM
Is he in a track suit?!?!
kazuma
kazuma - 7/17/2025, 7:37 PM
The main team have some of the best comic book suits ever made, and Mole Man has a track suit?

Will he be someone they meet when they first land in the main MCU universe? Will this movie end the exact same way as The Incredibles did?
Repian
Repian - 7/17/2025, 8:02 PM
@kazuma - Before Galactus takes hold in New York, the military evacuates the city. The Mole Man welcomes the citizens into his underground kingdom. Meanwhile, Giganto and other monsters guard the entrance to the Kingdom.
Repian
Repian - 7/17/2025, 8:28 PM
I hope the Mole Man tells Sue that a mysterious masked man has been buying large quantities of palladium. If the Mole Man lives underground, mining is a lucrative business for him. Doom, in the shadows, could obtain resources to carry out his plan.
PatientXero
PatientXero - 7/17/2025, 8:28 PM
I’m good with him having the part, but that outfit looks horrible. Wish.com Mole Man.
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 7/17/2025, 8:37 PM
He will always be Sting Ray to me.
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mountainman
mountainman - 7/17/2025, 9:15 PM
Great casting

Goggles look good

Track Suit is terrible. Dude lives underground. Wouldn’t he be eating more of a blue collar looking work outfit?

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