Pedro Pascal Either Cast or About to be Cast as Mr. Fantastic

Movies

The Fantastic Four may have found its leader. Insider Daniel Ritchman was the first to report that Pedro Pascal is in talks to star as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four. Other major sites confirm this, with The Hollywood Reporter saying that scheduling is the only sticking point; Deadline says the same, but that talks are “headed in the right direction.” However, /Film has heard from sources that it’s a done deal, and Pascal has officially signed on to play Mr. Fantastic. This ends over a year of speculation, with rumors about actors like Adam Driver, Matt Smith, Penn Badgley, and even Henry Cavill being close to signing (although Cavill was mostly speculation). There’s no word on the rest of the Four yet, but director Matt Shakman recently indicated that deals would be announced soon.

Pedro Pascal is an interesting choice. I don’t think anyone would have thought of him on their own. He’s older than the other reported candidates, and I like that; Reed shouldn’t be too young, and not just because of his infamous gray temples. He works better as a bit of an elder statesman for the team, especially considering his scientific genius. (Reed is supposed to be the smartest person in the Marvel Universe, although I think in the MCU, he comes after Shuri, Riri Williams, Ant-Man’s daughter, Pepper Potts, and that little girl Thor adopted in Love and Thunder.) I’m not really moved by this one way or the other; I like Pedro Pascal, and I’m sure he’ll be fine, but he’s not an exciting choice or anything. Then again, the way Marvel has been going, exciting isn’t as desirable as it was when they were casting people like Robert Downey Jr., so I’ll take it.