Paul Walter Hauser is one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood right now. The Emmy and Golden Globe-winner has given several poignant and disarming performances in the past few years, skyrocketing him to stardom.
He has many exciting projects in the works, including his entrance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he will play an undisclosed role in the upcoming film The Fantastic Four. But he didn’t take the role without reservation.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hauser explained that the failures of the previous Fantastic Four cinematic projects did give him pause, explaining:
“Don’t think that didn’t weigh in as I was deciding whether or not to take the job,” Hauser says of the property’s checkered Hollywood past. That movie has not fully been nailed just yet.
But I really do think the combination of the screenplay, and the department heads that are working on the film, and that classy cast of really exciting actors — some of them known for a long time, and some of them having a moment right now — [make me feel that] this movie is special, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Despite what some critics and fans alike are saying about the state of Marvel movies these days, it really is a different world that Marvel has created in filmmaking.
The caliber and cohesion of the stories is more carefully crafted in the MCU, and I believe the past couple of years’ backlash has given the filmmakers, producers, and studio heads a chance to recalibrate moving forward. I think we are about to embark on something great again, or at least I certainly hope so.
Hauser is joined in the cast by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic); Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman); Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch); and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing), as well as Julia Garner who will play Shalla-Bal, a version of Silver Surfer.
Matt Shakman (WandaVision) is directing from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Peter Cameron (WandaVision) has also done some writing on the project. Production will begin this summer, with the film slated to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
