Well, this casting news is a bit unexpected. THR is reporting that Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) is nearing a deal to join the Fantastic Four reboot as the eccentric and socially awkward scientist Harvey Elder.
In the comics, Elder is actually the Mole Man, who is shunned by humanity and flees underground, later to surface as the leader of an army of subterranean monsters called Moloids. Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and apparently 20th Century Fox is going to make it come to life on the big screen.
Apparently, Nelson’s character won’t be the Mole Man yet, but is instead being set-up for his villainous transformation in future films. This is very similar to the role Nelson had in Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, where he played Dr. Samuel Sterns, who becomes The Leader. His character was a… well, socially awkward and eccentric scientist, who undergoes a physical transformation at the end of the film that set his character up for future movies.
Since there hasn’t been any progress on future Hulk movies just yet, it comes as no surprise that Nelson has abandoned ship and climbed aboard another burgeoning superhero franchise. Whether or not Fantastic Four is successful enough to lead into future sequels, and therefore feature Mole Man, has yet to be seen.
I honestly never took the concept of Mole Man seriously, so it will be interesting to see how he fits into this new “grounded” take on the titular super family and their rogues gallery.
Tell us, are you excited to see Nelson show up in Fantastic Four? Sound off in the comments section below!
