Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot has been taking some major steps forward in recent months on the casting front. First, it was announced in February that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn would comprise the title quartet, and then came word that Julia Garner was cast as a female version of The Silver Surfer. Now it’s being reported that Cruella’s Paul Walter Hauser has joined the cast of the upcoming Marvel movie too, and I already have an idea on who he could be playing.
This latest casting update comes to us from Deadline, which states that Hauser’s role in the movie is being kept “under wraps” His credits include movies like I, Tonya, Black KkKlansman, Richard Jewell and Cruella, as well as TV shows like Cobra Kai and The Afterparty. I won’t lie, when I first saw that Hauser will be in The Fantastic Four, I immediately wondered if he might be playing the villain Mole Man, but now I’m thinking we won’t necessarily see the actor in this movie, but rather only hear him.
Earlier this year, Netflix subscribers got to hear Paul Walter Hauser voice The Dark in the animated movie Orion and the Dark, and next he’ll be heard as Embarrassment in Inside Out 2, which hits the 2024 movies schedule in June. So the actor is starting to carve out a voice acting space for himself, and maybe he’ll keep that going in The Fantastic Four. What if Hauser has been cast as H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot?
For those who don’t know, H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) was created for the 1978 Fantastic Four animated series as a replacement for Johnny Storm. The robot was then introduced to the comics a year later and, like in the TV show, is usually depicted as one of the team’s allies. When The Fantastic Four’s core cast was unveiled, it was accompanied by a piece of concept art that showed a robot handing Ben Grimm a mug. It’s since been confirmed that this is H.E.R.B.I.E.
It stands to reason that H.E.R.B.I.E. will have a prominent role in The Fantastic Four, so hiring someone like Paul Walter Hauser to voice him would make sense. This is just speculation on my part, and it’s possible that Hauser is actually playing an on-camera role. Still, having been impressed with his performance in Orion and the Dark, I would welcome hearing his voice coming out of this unique robot who will be on hand to aid Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing and The Human Torch.
The Fantastic Four is set to premiere in theaters on July 25, 2025, and while plot details are still being kept closely under wraps, a Human Torch poster released in April may have confirmed that the movie is set elsewhere in the Marvel multiverse. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for updates on this project’s progress.
