The Big Picture
- Pedro Pascal is in talks to play Reed Richards, also known as Mr Fantastic, in Marvel’s reboot of Fantastic Four.
- Pascal has emerged as the leading choice for the role, bringing charisma and talent to the character.
- Despite a busy schedule, Pascal is expected to prioritize his commitments and juggle filming for other projects.
In a stunning turn of events, Pedro Pascal is officially locked in talks and is poised to take on the role of Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic in Marvel’s reboot of its “first family”, Fantastic Four according to a new report. Various actors, including John Krasinski, Adam Driver, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Matt Smith, were rumoured to be in contention for the role at different times.
Krasinski, initially a top pick among fans for the role, made a brief appearance as an multiversal variant of Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, his character met a swift and gratifying demise, torn to shreds by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) after only a few minutes of screen time. However, Pascal has emerged as the leading choice to portray Richards, a scientist and inventor widely recognised as one of the most intelligent characters in the Marvel Comics universe. Following exposure to cosmic radiation, Richards acquired the ability to manipulate his body into a flexible state, enabling him to stretch his limbs, absorb impacts, and even transform his body into a sort of trampoline to deflect oncoming objects.
Pascal is an extremely busy man at the moment, and as far as leading men go, not many are as charismatic at the star of HBO’s The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. He’s currently filming Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator in Malta before heading to shoot the second season of HBO’s hit series. He is officially contracted to prioritise the follow-up to the Oscar-winning Roman epic for the British director, before taking on the role of Joel Miller alongside Bella Ramsey once more for his Emmy-nominated character.
The ‘Fantastic Four’ Reboot Has Had a Rocky Start
Marvel officially announced a reboot of Fantastic Four in 2020 during Disney’s investor call. However, a lot has happened to both Marvel and Disney in that time. At the time, Marvel were riding the crest of a wave in the post-Avengers: Endgame world, with Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts initially tapped to direct the movie. However, Watts departed the gig in April 2022, labelling the split as “amicable”, with WandaVision’s Matt Shakman taking on the role.
However, following a spate of box office flops and critical failures, Marvel are in dire need of a big hit. And with only Deadpool 3 due for release between now and 2025, a major movie is vital for the company’s fortunes. The move to cast Pascal is a sign that the company is serious about this one, and the rest of the Fantastic 4 cast will prove just as important going forward.
Fantastic 4 is currently set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.