THE FANTASTIC FOUR Star Pedro Pascal Says He's "Beyond Excited" To Play Reed Richards In MCU Reboot

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Star Pedro Pascal Says He's "Beyond Excited" To Play Reed Richards In MCU Reboot

Pedro Pascal has spoken about joining the cast of Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four, expressing his excitement to be "invited to a family like that."

By MarkCassidy - Feb 25, 2024 10:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

Pedro Pascal picked up the SAG award for Best Actor in a Drama series for his performance in HBO's The Last of Us, and was asked about being officially announced as part of The Fantastic Four cast during a backstage interview with ET.

Pascal has been rumored to be in contention to play Reed Richards for quite a while, and the trades actually reported that he was in final talks for the role late last year. Even so, the Game of Thrones alum had previously remained tight-lipped about potentially joining the MCU in interviews, and is only now getting the chance to speak about it and express his excitement.

"I can tell you how excited I am, which is beyond! There isn’t anything more exciting than being in a cast like that, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joe Quinn and our director Matt Shakman. To be invited to a family like that is unbelievable, and we all just want to do our best and share it with the world.”

Pascal clearly didn't expect his name to be read out after Succession's Kieran Culkin won in the same category at the Golden Globes, and indulged in a few tipples during the show.

“This is wrong for so many reasons,” Pascal told the audience during his acceptance speech. “I’m a little drunk. I thought I could get drunk. I’m making a fool of myself, but thank you so much for this! I’ve been in the union since 1999 so this is an incredible [frick]ing honor. To the nominees, all of you, I can’t remember any of your names right now.”

Pascal will be joined by Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, The Bear) as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.

There are rumors that both Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One) are top picks to play Doctor Doom, but other actors are sure to be in contention.

Several well-placed sources have claimed that Doom will be one of the main villains of Avengers: Secret Wars.

Javier Bardem is still rumored to be the top choice for Galactus, but his schedule may prevent him from signing on. The Eater of Worlds' herald is believed to be Silver Surfer, but a female take on the character. A recent rumor claimed that Anya Taylor-Joy is being eyed for that role.

Matt Shakman will direct FF. Plot details are still a mystery, but we do know that it will at least partially be set in the '60s. Kevin Feige has confirmed that this will not be another origin story for the super-team.

“A lot of people know this origin story. A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?” he said in a 2022 interview, comparing this new take on the heroes to Marvel Studios' pact with Sony to bring Spider-Man into the MCU. “We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen.”

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Evansly
Evansly - 2/25/2024, 10:59 AM
Hoping to be surprised by his role. Don't fully see it but plenty of people didn't see Heath Ledger as Joker or Michael Keaton as Batman
Jarvisjackrabbit
Jarvisjackrabbit - 2/25/2024, 2:29 PM
@Evansly - Same here. I wish I was more jazzed about this particular bit of casting.
DanFlashesShirt
DanFlashesShirt - 2/25/2024, 5:17 PM
@Evansly - it’s not that i don’t see him as Reed Richards, it just feels like he’s in everything at the moment and would have preferred someone a little less known like the rest of the cast. When the Margot Robbie / Emma Stone rumors were going around i was NOT into it for the same reason.

It’s like if it were 2015 and they cast Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Zac Efron and Jonah Hill.
Buckkit
Buckkit - 2/25/2024, 7:17 PM
@DanFlashesShirt - Same feeling. Pedro is a fine actor and I have no issues with him but why is he getting shoved into almost every movie these days? It's like he's the second coming Tom Cruise or something... Are there no other male actors in hollywood?
The1st
The1st - 2/26/2024, 9:06 AM
@Evansly - Exactly. So many comedians eventually graduate, or better have the luxury of, moving beyond being typecast if they so choose. So more like #haterade. Is it in you?
bobevanz
bobevanz - 2/25/2024, 11:01 AM
At this point the casting is the least of my worries. Sarah Finn has proved time and time again she knows who to pick. It's the writing and cgi that scares me, it has been the main issue since Endgame. Maybe they'll right the ship, or they fail again. Either way I'll be there to give my two cents
TheLobster
TheLobster - 2/25/2024, 11:59 AM
@bobevanz - you’re not wrong. Marvel’s CGI has been total ass for a majority of the MCU but it’s only gotten worse post-Endgame due to Marvel changing their minds at the 11th hour in post. You look at what Gareth Edwards did with The Creator for a fraction of the cost and that CGI is perfection. I would love to see Marvel hit those highs but I doubt it.

Here’s to hoping that Feige and Shakman have the film’s visuals locked in to produce decent visuals. They’ve been working on this together for almost two years (and 4 years in total at Marvel) so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Itwasme
Itwasme - 2/25/2024, 11:03 AM
I think he'll do great. The only thing I've learned from castings is that fans have no clue what they are talking about. Keaton as Batman, Ledger as Joker, RDJ as Stark, Evans as Cap and so on.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 2/25/2024, 11:10 AM
@Itwasme - it’s a coin toss honestly

I remember so many were excited for Leto as Joker when it was announced and then we got a real try hard performance out of him which i atleast didn’t like…

Ultimately it depends on what they are going for and if he fits their version of Reed best.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 2/25/2024, 11:08 AM
Pedro as Reed has grown on me but I’m still not fully sold on him yet.

I can see him doing the family man & darker shades of the character if they go there but it’s him being able to portray the intelligence of the character that I’m unsure of…

Tbh , even that is only because i have never seen him in that kind of role before so hope it turns out well!!.

Itwasme
Itwasme - 2/25/2024, 11:15 AM
@TheVisionary25 - here's the thing people don't seem to get... intelligence is not a personality trait, its a cognitive trait. So it will have far less on the actor and more on the script. Being a bit arrogant, bit impatient... these are personality traits.

So him playing a smart person really shouldn't be that much of a concern.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 2/25/2024, 11:18 AM
@Itwasme - that’s fair

I still think it’s up to the actor to be able to believablly come across and exude that intelligence which [frick] it , I’m sure he’ll be able to do

Dudes a good actor and has range.
KiddSoul
KiddSoul - 2/25/2024, 9:42 PM
@Itwasme - It can possibly be that Intelligence is a cognitive trait and personality traits intertwined. Food for thought.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 2/25/2024, 10:35 PM
@KiddSoul - not from a scientific stand point.

My dad was a research physicist and worked at Bell Labs in its prime. That was a place of really extreme intelligence. There was one guy there who, and I kid you not, walked backwards everywhere. He wore a hat with mirrors on the side. I imagine it had to do with his social anxieties. Intelligence through the roof, but personality is totally different. I feel Pascal has shown a lot of Reed's personality traits - the arrogance, the lack of some social awareness...

They can write him really smart, but the challenge is going to be to write it in a way that it's not a dues ex machina where he magically solves problems and there's no tension to it all. It's all writing. Pascal has to include all those personality traits and make him still likeable.
KiddSoul
KiddSoul - 2/26/2024, 11:20 AM
@Itwasme - That's great information. Although I just pointed at the POSSIBILITIES. One of those I looked into is the personality traits of acquiring wealth that anybody could develop. The psychology of having personality traits to acquire wealth could influence intellect or cognitive performance based on socioeconomic status. For example, a rich man would have better access to knowledge and tutors to help them develop their cognitive performance than a man without money. I'm not saying that would completely define a poor man's possibilities away from having cognitive performance less than a rich man. As there are highly intelligent people who are not wealthy. My point is personality and intellect are possibly intertwined. When you think about it, How can it not be?
Polaris
Polaris - 2/25/2024, 11:12 AM
Sometimes I forget how charismatic this man is and then he does something like this and I remember. His speech was one of the best moments of the ceremony simply by how genuine and funny and lovable he is as a person. The main reason I don't see him as Reed is that he doesn't have that... idk let's say coldness, that I associate with the character and because he's everywhere, but f*ck it, he's great, his happiness is contagious and I'm glad he's part of the cast.
RolandD
RolandD - 2/25/2024, 11:24 AM
@Polaris - That’s why it’s called acting. A lot of people, myself included didn’t see how a pretty boy actor like Heath Ledger could play the Joker.
Polaris
Polaris - 2/25/2024, 11:49 AM
@RolandD - True. I just don't think Reed plays into his strengths as an actor. For example, I didn't care about Pedro in GoT, and he was good and charismatic, but he wasn't at all how I pictured the character while reading. It wasn't until after I saw him in other roles that I realized how good he actually was with the right material. Anyway, I hope he proves me wrong, because I really like the guy and I'm rooting for him.
RolandD
RolandD - 2/25/2024, 4:14 PM
@Polaris - Yeah. I don’t have a strong opinion on his casting but I am also hoping for the best.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 2/25/2024, 11:12 AM
Pascal’s great in everything. A huge get for Marvel and anybody acting otherwise is fooling themselves
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 2/25/2024, 11:28 AM
My policy is that if I have fancasts that come true, it's great, but if it is someone else, as long as the actor chosen gives it their all I'm not going to complain. Sarah Haley Finn has never let us down before and she won't do it this time.
Saga
Saga - 2/25/2024, 3:29 PM
@MCUKnight11 - didnt she cast Jonathan Mayors?
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 2/25/2024, 11:29 AM
I'm genuily suprised how unpopular this casting choice is. Like, he is hella talented actor and super charismatic, I think he will do great as long as the material doesn't fail him. It's not like Krasinski, the big fancasting favorite, had history of playing Mr. Fantastic-type roles either, but I guess he was always popular for more shallow reasons (married to Emily Blunt, who gets fancast for every single even slightly action-y female role, and people got obsessed with the idea of getting a real-life married couple for Reed and Sue).
BobGarlen
BobGarlen - 2/25/2024, 12:06 PM
@FinnishDude - for me, he's unpopular because he's a tad old to start as the face/a face of a major franchise expected to last 10+ years, but also I think his roles for the last few years either have him playing a version of himself (mostly exaggerated) or just the Mandalorian. So I don't really see "World's Smartest Man and Workaholic" Reed Richards. If anything considering the slump Marvel is in, I'm very afraid his "Reed" will really be "Tony Stark, but with Stretchy Powers."
thedrudo
thedrudo - 2/25/2024, 11:29 AM
I’m definitely warming up to him as Reed. Not what I envisioned but we’ll see what juice he adds to the role. I’m optimistically excited the movie might turn out alright.
DarthAlgar
DarthAlgar - 2/25/2024, 11:32 AM
He's the new Samuel L. Jackson.

He'll be in everything.
Timerider
Timerider - 2/25/2024, 12:51 PM
@DarthAlgar - Actually, he’ll be more like Tony Stark. He will be in a lot of films. This is the way.
ATrueHero1987
ATrueHero1987 - 2/25/2024, 11:46 AM
Vigor
Vigor - 2/25/2024, 11:47 AM
Ok good. Now don't touch any little girls [or boys]. Don't smack a bitch or even wrestle your phone from her prying hands. (You can prob smack Chris Rock on stage though and your career will be just fine)

Stay in a straight and narrow lane and riches will continue to shower your future
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 2/25/2024, 2:16 PM
@Vigor - Jury's still out on that last one. Emancipation didn't do very well. Lets see how Bad Boys does.
Vigor
Vigor - 2/25/2024, 2:22 PM
@ObserverIO - true. Still too early to know
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