It has been known for some time that actor/wrestler Paul Walter Hauser has a role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. What that role is, however, has been kept secret in the film’s advance press. Now, the identity of which Marvel Cinematic Universe villain Hauser will play has been revealed in the movie’s first tie-in comic.
Written by Matt Fraction with art by Mark Buckingham, Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 is presented as a promotional comic printed by the Future Foundation in the MCU. The book is full of ads parodying print comics of the 1960s, with information on a Human Torch fan club and a newsletter from Reed Richards for young scientists. Most of the comic, however, is devoted to retelling the story of the Fantastic Four’s first adventure in the MCU.
The story largely mimics the structure of the original Fantastic Four #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The team emerge from quarantine shortly after gaining their powers after hearing reports of trouble in Manhattan. This trouble turns out to be the work of a villain who is clearly modeled on Paul Walter Hauser.
What do we know about Paul Walter Hauser’s MCU character?
Paul Walter Hauser’s character is revealed to be Harvey Elder, aka the Mole Man. However, the character’s motivations are dramatically changed from the classic comics. There, Elder was a reclusive scientist seeking revenge on those who mocked his theories of a hollow Earth. To that end, he created an army of monsters from the realm he dubbed Subterranea. These included both kaiju and a race of humanoid moles Elder dubbed the Moloids.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Mole Man is a drastically different kind of leader. Indeed, he confirms himself to be a union organizer turned politician. While still ruling over giant monsters and Moloids, his followers are mostly ordinary humans. They share Elder’s dream of a better life underground, forming an egalitarian commune called Subterranea. Unfortunately, construction on the surface world threatened their way of live. This led Mole Man to rise up, striking out against those who threatened his people.
Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 9, 2025.
Originally reported by Matt Morrison on SuperHeroHype.
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