The Fantastic Four has found its sixth fantastic star! Casting info has been mostly quiet ever since Marvel announced its quite sensational quartet of leads for the upcoming reboot of the First Family back on Valentine’s Day. April then delivered the news that Julia Garner was on board too, as a female iteration of the Silver Surfer.
Further rumors have swirled around since, concerning Galactus and, um, another Silver Surfer, but now we officially have another name to add to the list. Paul Walter Hauser has been added to the cast of director Matt Shakman’s film, joining the aforementioned Garner, not to mention Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss Bachrach (The Thing).
No character details have emerged as to his role in the 2025 summer blockbuster as yet, but once we put together Hauser’s casting with one character we 100% know will make their cinematic debut in the film, then there’s surely only one logical answer who he could be playing. Everybody say “Hi, H.E.R.B.I.E.!”
Paul Walter Hauser would be the perfect H.E.R.B.I.E.
The curious way Marvel chose to announce Pascal et al’s casting told us a lot more about The Fantastic Four than just its lead cast. The actors were unveiled in the form of a piece of promo art, which confirmed the 1960s aesthetic the movie will sport. Not to mention it depicted the Four hanging out with a very familiar friend to comics readers and old-school cartoon readers: the FF’s robot sidekick, H.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics).
The last update we heard, Marvel Studios was searching for a talented comedic actor to voice the helpful android. Well, Hauser is one of the best comedic character actors working today, as anyone who’s seen him in everything from Cruella to Cobra Kai can attest. He’s also extremely in demand right now — he’s set to play the lead in a Chris Farley biopic, he’s signed up for the Naked Gun reboot, and he’s voicing a new emotion in Disney’s own Inside Out 2.
Hauser could certainly bring a lot of personality and charisma to the part of H.E.R.B.I.E. And given Marvel’s knack for loveable animal and/or digital sidekicks — see J.A.R.V.I.S., Goose, Cosmo, and others — he could well steal every scene he’s in. Even when he’s sharing those scenes with Pascal, Kirby, and the rest of the cosmic clan.
Then again, maybe he’s Galactus! Maybe he’s H.E.R.B.I.E. and then it turns out H.E.R.B.I.E. is Galactus in disguise!
Oh. I’ve finally realized why Kevin Feige never returns my calls.