There has been a lot of discourse regarding the overall quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, but even then, it can't be denied that the superhero giant has consistently excelled in one particular aspect since its inception: The live-action castings. Just recently, Lewis Pullman and Florence Pugh made waves for their outstanding performances as Sentry and Yelena in Thunderbolts*, Kathryn Hahn stole the spotlight in Agatha All Along, and Channing Tatum finally had the chance to shine as Gambit during Deadpool & Wolverine. Fortunately, this is only the beginning.
Many new heroes and villains are about to make their MCU debut in the upcoming years. Wonder Man will have his own Disney Plus series, Doctor Doom will be positioned as the big bad of the Multiverse Saga, and Marvel's First Family will finally make their (third) live-action debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. To say fans are excited to see Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach bring the movie's titular heroes to life would be an understatement. However, the good guys won't be the only ones to be at the center of the conversation, as there will be no shortage of bad guys to make their lives impossible.
At long last, Galactus and Shalla-Bal's Silver Surfer will leave their mark on the MCU. However, we've heard multiple rumors in the past that indicate many more antagonists will show up in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and one of them has finally been revealed.
Paul Walter Hauser will play the role of Mole Man in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Sometimes it seems like it's impossible for the MCU to keep a secret. Ever since Paul Walter Hauser was cast in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it was heavily speculated (and reported) that he would bring Mole Man, and now it's finally been confirmed.
On Jul. 9, 2025, Marvel will release an official prequel comic book to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will go over the heroes' origin story just in time for the movie's release. So far, fans have been able to see a small preview of this upcoming issue, which has no shocking reveals on its own. However, one of the comic's panels leaked ahead of time, and it reveals that Paul Walter Hauser will play the role of Mole Man.
The Marvel villain made his comic book debut on the first issue of Fantastic Four back in 1961, so it's fitting that he'll also be present on the group's MCU debut. However, this casting also raises a few questions, as some fans theorized that John Malkovich would be the one to portray Mole Man. But now we know that isn't the case, we have to ponder the question: Who else is he playing?
Unfortunately, a recent Disney press release cast doubt on the future of John's character, as the actor's name was nowhere to be seen in the movie's casting list. Granted, there's a chance that he will really end up appearing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Marvel simply wants to keep his role under wraps as long as possible. However, we can't help but wonder if his character was cut, especially now that we know that Mole Man will be involved (regardless of how big his participation is).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps has the very complicated task of introducing audiences to four titular heroes, an antagoinst that fans have been eager to see in the MCU for a very long time in the form of Galactus, and other important characters such as Franklin Richards, Silver Surfer, and now Paul Walter Hauser's Mole Man. With that in mind, it wouldn't be shocking to learn that John Malkovich's character was removed altogether.
On the bright side, we finally have the confirmation that Marvel's First Family will go up against their very first comic book nemesis. To make things better, it's just a matter of days (at the time of writing this) before we finally get our first glimpse at Mole Man in the movie's prequel comic book. And in just a few weeks, we'll all finally get to see what The Fantastic Four: First Steps has to offer as a whole, and how it will change the future of the MCU.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on Jul. 25, 2025.