MCU confirms arrival of 'secret' villain, and fans are thrilled

An unexpected villain has been confirmed for the MCU, which will likely delight hardcore Marvel fans.

The next Marvel movie to arrive in the MCU is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, starring heroes Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing).

“Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' introduces Marvel’s First Family, as they face their most daunting challenge yet,” reads the synopsis of the movie.

Of course, no Marvel story would be the same without its iconic villains and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is no exception. The two headline villains of the movie that we know of so far are Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as Silver Surfer.

However, as brought to our attention by Culture Crave, during an all-star panel of guests from The Fantastic Four: First Steps on the Omelette Stage at CCXP MX in Mexico City, Joseph Quinn revealed that Mole Man will also be a villain in the upcoming movie.

Mole Man is the first character to feature as a main villain for the Fantastic Four in the comics, which makes him quite a poetic choice for this MCU reboot. It’s believed that Paul Walter Hauser will play Mole Man.

It wouldn't also be surprising if Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom makes an appearance in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, whether it’s in the main story or as a post-credit scene to help set up Avengers: Doomsday, now set to be released on 18 December 2026.

“His time is now,” said a joyous EVILSCRE4M.

“This film is a must,” declared blockxs.

“My goat,” replied Agent_Brutus.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in cinemas on 25 July 2025. Hopefully, this reboot won't be a complete let down unlike all the other previous Fantastic Four attempts.