The Fantastic Four: First Steps was the first Fantastic Four movie produced by Marvel Studios. The project brought in A-list actors like Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby to draw audiences back to theaters. So, to be involved in a project like this was a huge thing for actor Paul Walter Hauser, who played Mole Man in the movie. However, in a recent interview, Hauser revealed that a lot of his scenes were cut from the movie due to story priorities.
Even a major actor’s role isn’t immune to the cutting room floor, says Hauser
On the Out of Order podcast, Hauser confirmed that half of his scenes were cut from the theatrical version. However, he also made it clear it wasn’t a Marvel Studios-specific issue, but a recognizable pattern in his career where projects don’t always turn out as imagined. He further claimed that the phenomenon can occur even to actors at the peak of their careers, where a film can completely change the trajectory of a character’s development by editing out key scenes.
“I’m trying to tell people, if you’re watching this, especially if you’re an actor, filmmaker, even at the height of your career, where you are putting out indies and a Marvel movie and a wildly popular, well-received Naked Gun movie, it’s like it’s still not going to be whatever you’re thinking it’s going to be,” Hauser stated.
Notably, Marvel Studios aimed for a runtime of around two hours for its Fantastic Four debut, and Mole Man’s screen time was a casualty in the process. A major scene with Vanessa Kirby’s character, Sue Storm, was supposedly cut, suggesting that Mole Man may have had more narrative importance despite his constrained role in the film. As per reports, an entire sequence where Kirby travels to Subterranea to negotiate with Mole Man was left out of the movie. The scene could have added more nuance to Mole Man’s character, but didn’t make the final cut.
However, Hauser also noted in earlier interviews that he was still one of the fortunate ones. His co-actor John Malkovich reportedly had all his scenes removed entirely. It goes to show that featuring in a Marvel movie doesn’t automatically guarantee impact for actors.
In the end, Marvel prioritized the Fantastic Four team and the villains in the universe, which led to supporting characters like Mole Man being trimmed.
Did you think Mole Man’s role could have been meatier in the film? Let us know in the comments below.
