"In the end, it's no longer $250,000": this Marvel actor reveals how much he earned for joining The Fantastic Four

How much did the actors of "The Fantastic Four" earn for portraying these superpowered beings? One of the iconic faces from the 2025 installment sheds light on this taboo subject.

In 2025, twenty years after the first film The Fantastic Four, the movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released in theaters. As its title suggests, this Marvel film features the heroes Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing, as well as their enemies, such as Galactus, Silver Surfer, and Mole Man. Paul Walter Hauser, who plays this villain on screen, has revealed the salary he received for this key role...

Mole Man reveals his six-figure salary

On May 22, during the Good One podcast by Vulture, hosted by Jesse David Fox, the actor who won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance in Black Bird disclosed that he earned between $200,000 and $300,000 (approximately €171,000 to €257,000) for his role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, in reality, Paul Walter Hauser did not receive this amount in full, as he explains in this candid interview.

From this base salary, taxes must be deducted, along with a 10% agent commission, another 10% for the manager, 5% for lawyer fees, and 5% for management expenses. Moreover, the 39-year-old actor revealed that he donates between 5% and 12% of his income to those in need. As a result, his final salary is significantly reduced: "What seemed to be $250,000 actually corresponds to about $136,000," which is roughly €116,000 for a single film role.

Salary deemed insufficient

In this podcast, Paul Walter Hauser admitted that while this amount is significant, it is not enough to provide long-term financial security as an actor. He notably pointed out the salary disparity between lead and supporting roles. This was an opportunity to discuss the much larger salaries of Hollywood stars, as Hauser highlighted that studios prioritize paying stars like Sydney Sweeney, who earned big thanks to the success of The Maid. A welcome statement.