The Emmy-winning actor talks to The Hollywood Reporter before competing in Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VI.
Paul Walter Hauser knows that past Fantastic Four movies didn’t do well. In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Hauser said these poorly received films made him think twice before joining director Matt Shakman’s new Disney movie, which will be released on July 25, 2025. Hauser, who recently won an Emmy for his role in Black Bird, will play an unknown role in the project alongside Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).
“That definitely played a part in my decision,” Hauser says about the previous Fantastic Four movies. “The movie hasn’t been perfect yet.”
He continues, “But I believe in the screenplay, the team working on the film, and the amazing cast — some well-known actors and some new stars. I think this movie is special, and I wanted to be part of it.”
The Fantastic Four first appeared in a never-released, low-budget 1994 movie. They hit the big screen in 2005 with a film directed by Tim Story and starring Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, and Michael Chiklis. Although it did well at the box office and had a 2007 sequel, critics didn’t love it, and it has a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The 2015 reboot directed by Josh Trank and starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell did even worse. It flopped at the box office and has a 9% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Hauser says he met with Shakman (WandaVision) over dinner to discuss joining the team. “Matt Shakman directed me years ago in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Hauser says. “It’s exciting to work together again on this movie. I’m thrilled to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Hauser spoke to THR before his big match in Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VI in Atlanta, where he’ll compete against 40 others for a chance at the MLW world heavyweight title. A lifelong wrestling fan, Hauser first stepped into the ring for a charity event in November. He hopes to balance future wrestling matches with acting projects like next year’s Naked Gun reboot and a biopic of Saturday Night Live legend Chris Farley, directed by Josh Gad.
“Wrestling is something I love, and I’m finding ways to fit it into my schedule,” Hauser says. “I don’t want to wrestle in front of a small crowd in a gym, and some might say, ‘You’re not a real wrestler.’ But I have a busy schedule. So something like MLW’s Battle Riot is very exciting to me.”