Paul Walter Hauser has a busy couple of years ahead, with an untitled Chris Farley biopic, the Naked Gun reboot, Mark Wahlberg action-comedy Balls Up and the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere just some of the projects currently on his schedule.
He is also set to play a supporting role in Marvel Studios' upcoming The Fantastic Four reboot, but details on his character are still under wraps.
Hauser was asked about his role during an interview with Variety, but declined to spill any details aside from delving into how he's been preparing for the movie, which is set to begin filming before the end of the month.
"Pre-production for me has been reading comic books and reading the screenplay. A lot of it is assessing where I fit into that story and how to best utilize my time in it. You don’t want to make choices or do things that are redundant in a film. It’s important to know what the film is and what everyone’s jobs are so that you’re bringing your own unique take to something. That was incredibly important in BlacKkKlansmen. I was playing one of a half dozen racist idiots in the film, and you have to bring your own racist idiot to the table. It can’t just be everybody else’s. Whenever I’m in an ensemble, I’m trying to figure out how to be unique or specific without being distracting."
"It’s so fun, man," he added. "I didn’t really read Fantastic Four when I was a kid. I was very Batman-centric. But reading the Fantastic Four comics has been a blast. I love it."
The prevailing theory seems to be that Hauser will be playing the villainous Mole Man, aka Harvey Rupert Elder, who was the first enemy the team faced in the comics. This speculation largely stems from Hauser's physical appearance - although later on in the interview, the actor mentions that he is dropping some weight for the part.
Hauser will join Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us), who will play Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning), who will play as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place Day One), who will "flame on" as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, who were recently spotted arriving for dinner at the Chiltern Firehouse in London along with director Matt Shakman.
There was no sign of Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear), who has been cast as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.
The news broke earlier this year that Julia Garner (Ozark) has been cast as a female take on the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal).Galactus has also been confirmed as the main villain, and he'll be played by Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Game of Thrones).
The movie is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.