Fantastic Four: Who Could Paul Walter Hauser Be Playing?

Fantastic Four

By Callum Murray

Published May 13, 2024

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Fantastic Four

Highlights

Paul Walter Hauser cast in Fantastic Four, sparking speculations about his potential roles - H.E.R.B.I.E., Mole Man, or Norin Radd.
Hauser's role in Cobra Kai makes him a potential fit for the character Stingray, hinting at an interesting choice.
Hauser, known for his role in various acclaimed films, is set to star in both the Naked Gun reboot and as Chris Farley in a biopic.

Matt Shakman's The Fantastic Four has cast Blackbird actor, Paul Walter Hauser in a mystery role, in the 1960s reboot of the superhero franchise which is set for release on July 25, 2025. The MCU will be the new home of the eponymous superheroes in their upcoming adventure, and expectations are high for the new movie. News broke of Hauser's casting this week alongside confirmation that two-time Oscar winner, John Malkovich will also be joining the cast in a mystery role.

Fans have been speculating about who Hauser could be playing in the much anticipated movie, with this casting being considered a positive move for the potential success of the superhero flick. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach have all been cast in the upcoming project as the four main superheroes, with Julia Garner's Silver Surfer also confirmed.

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Who could Paul Walter Hauser be playing in The Fantastic Four?

The Fantastic Four
Starring	Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser and Ralph Ineson
Written By	Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer
Directed By	Matt Shakman

H.E.R.B.I.E

H.E.R.B.I.E., (aka Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics), is one of the possibilities for the character Hauser could play in the upcoming movie. Marvel released some Promo art back in February, including the four main roles and their robot companion, making this character likely to appear. H.E.R.B.I.E was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1979’s Fantastic Four issue 209. H.E.R.B.I.E is the team’s robot butler, and becomes a very helpful ally to them.

Mole Man

Mole Man, (aka Harvey Rupert Elder) is the first villain The Fantastic Four ever fought in the comic books. Lee and Kirby also created the character, and introduced him in 1961’s The Fantastic Four issue 1. Mole Man was a scientist who fell underground and ended up ruling a subterranean race called the Moloids. As revenge for the world rejecting him, he regularly attacks the surface world.

Hauser has the build for Mole Man, which has led to online sleuths pointing to him as the actor to potentially play him. To reboot The Fantastic Four with this original villain would be quite a fitting way to go.

Willie Lumpkin

The Fantastic Four’s mailman was introduced in a daily comic strip by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo before he properly joined The Fantastic Four in issue 11 in 1963. It's easy to see Hauser playing a mailman, but there is no confirmation if this character is even going to appear in the new movie. Stan Lee played Willie Lumpkin in 2005’s Fantastic Four in a short cameo, and there's a possibility they might retire the character as a tribute to the iconic Marvel creator.

Norrin Rad aka Silver Surfer

Norrin Radd was the original Silver Surfer, and it could be a possible role Hauser could take on in the new movie. Julia Garner has been confirmed to play a version of the Silver Surfer known as Shalla Bal, which makes it unlikely that Norrin Rad will appear in the movie as well.

However, if the tone of the movie is more comedic, it's possible it could feature a couple of silver surfers riffing off each other. Norrin Radd was introduced in Fantastic Four issue 48.

Stingray

The oceanic superhero was first introduced in 1967’s Tales to Astonish issue 95, and was created by Roy Thomas and Bill Everett. The hero often teams up with and clashes with Namor the Sub Mariner, who appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Funnily enough, Hauser plays a character called Stingray in Cobra Kai, so it could be a funny in-joke if he also played Stingray in the MCU. However, it's very unlikely this will happen.

What else has Paul Walter Hauser been in?

Paul Walter Hauser's big break came in the superb true crime drama, I, Tonya in 2017, and he has seen his career go from strength to strength since. He played the leading role in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell in 2019, and also appeared in supporting roles in BlacKkKlansman and Cruella.

Hauser's most famous role thus far is the serial killer, Larry Hall in Apple TV+'s Blackbird, alongside Taron Egerton. Hauser won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his role in Blackbird, which has landed him a place on the Hollywood A list. Hauser has recently lined up a role in Paramount’s Naked Gun reboot, and he is also set to play Chris Farley in a biopic of the legendary comedian's life.