The buzz around Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps just got even louder. While the MCU’s reboot of Marvel’s First Family already has fans hyped with Galactus and Silver Surfer looming large, a third villain has now entered the scene—and it’s a deep-cut classic: Mole Man.
Actor Joseph Quinn (best known for Stranger Things and now cast as Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch) casually dropped the news during a panel appearance at CCXP Mexico 2025. In a moment that sent fans scrambling online, Quinn confirmed that Mole Man would be appearing in the film—adding another layer to a movie that’s already shaping up to be a cosmic-level epic.
But for those unfamiliar with Marvel’s subterranean supervillain, here’s a breakdown of who Mole Man is, why he matters, and what his inclusion could mean for Fantastic Four: First Steps.
First appearing all the way back in Fantastic Four #1 (1961), Mole Man—real name Harvey Rupert Elder—has the distinction of being the very first villain the Fantastic Four ever faced. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Mole Man is a former scientist and social outcast who discovered an underground world called Subterranea after being rejected by society for his appearance and eccentric behavior.
Bitter and brilliant, Mole Man declared himself ruler of the subterranean monsters and launched attacks on the surface world using his underground armies and technology. He’s often portrayed as a tragic figure—a man pushed underground (literally and figuratively) by human cruelty.
Mole Man may not have the flashy power set of Galactus or the sleek menace of Doctor Doom, but his legacy in Fantastic Four lore is massive. Including him in First Steps could serve multiple purposes:
A Callback to FF Roots: By revisiting the team’s original nemesis, the film can pay homage to the comic that launched the Marvel Universe as we know it.
Ground-Level Stakes: While Galactus represents a cosmic, world-ending threat, Mole Man brings a different kind of danger—more personal, earthy, and tied to mankind’s mistreatment of those who don’t fit in.
A Foil for Reed Richards: Mole Man is often a dark reflection of Reed—a brilliant man who let bitterness twist his genius. That dynamic could add some real emotional depth to the film.
Rumors around Fantastic Four: First Steps suggest the movie will function as both an origin story and a soft launch for Marvel’s new era of cosmic storytelling. With Galactus in the shadows and Silver Surfer likely acting as a harbinger, Mole Man could serve as the film’s “Act One villain”—a warm-up before the real cosmic threat emerges.
Alternatively, he might be more integral—perhaps helping to expose the FF to the wider multiverse or even playing a role in the discovery of the Negative Zone. In the comics, Mole Man’s underground lairs often house ancient tech and monsters forgotten by time—exactly the kind of Marvel weirdness that Phase 6 seems to be leaning into.
Mole Man’s inclusion may seem unexpected, but it’s a brilliant move. In a landscape crowded with multiversal crises and god-tier villains, a bitter old man with a grudge and an army of monsters might just be the secret ingredient that grounds Fantastic Four: First Steps in real character drama—and connects it back to the very beginnings of Marvel Comics.
So don’t sleep on Harvey Elder. He may be living beneath the Earth’s surface, but in 2025, Mole Man is rising to the big leagues.
