Summary
Pedro Pascal got candid about one of his latest roles. According to him, it was “intimidating.”
Pascal is a Chilean-American actor who has appeared in multiple movies and TV shows. He began acting in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He previously appeared on TV shows likeBuffy the Vampire Slayer,NYPD Blue,Law & Order, andThe Good Wifeand built a name for himself. His breakout role was playing Oberyn Martell inGame of Thrones.Oberyn was bold, charming and tragic, and portraying the character put Pascal on the global map. He also scored a role on Netflix’s Narco (2015 - 2017). However, his superstar status was cemented after he landed the titular role inStar Wars’The Mandalorian. Pascal has continued to impress fans with his casting as Joel in The Last of Us. His performance earned him widespread praise and several award nominations. He also received accolades at the Astra TV Awards, MTV Movie & TV Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Despite his achievements, Pascal felt he had big shoes to fill when he joined theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU).
Pascal was cast as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in MCU’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He stars in the film alongsideVanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman,Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/ Human Torch, andEbon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing. Pascal is the fifth actor to portray Mister Fantastic. Alex Hyde-White was cast for the same role in The Fantastic Four (1994), but the low-budget film was never officially released, although illegal copies were floating around. Ioan Gruffudd played the same superhero role inFantastic Four(2005) andFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer(2007). Miles Teller also played Reed in the 2015Fantastic Fourreboot. Prior to Pascal, John Krasinski appeared as Mister Fantastic inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(2022). “It was really intimidating,” Pascal said about his casting as Reed Richards. He acknowledged his previous big roles and admitted that “each time I’ve felt like I couldn’t top how intimidating the last one was.” He added that part of the reason he was feeling that way was because he didn’t want to disappoint the audience. He told Entertainment Weekly:
They’re all scary because you really want to make people happy, especially if it’s something that’s widely known with particular expectations around it because you want those expectations to be met. You also want to be authentic to yourself so that it can be the best that it can be for anybody who wants to be entertained by a story and travel with us into this world.
Prior to the official announcement that Pascal would be the newest Mister Fantastic, there were already rumors that he could land the role. A webpage on the SAG-AFTRA Foundation website seemingly confirmed it because it reflected the project he was about to do after he wrapped up filmingGladiator 2. The post announced that Pascal was about to begin filming Marvel’sFantastic Four. In the same interview with EW, Pascal said hisMCUcasting was “a big strange thing that I hadn’t planned on happening,” and it reportedly “changed the course” of his life. It was like destiny as he recalled a surprising encounter withThe Fantastic Fourdirector Matt Shakman. Pascal went for a walk with his friend, and his attention was caught by a little girl who was “very aggressive” about selling lemonade. Then, out of nowhere, he heard Shakman’s voice questioning them about what they were doing in the area. It turned out that the girl was Shakman’s daughter, and the encounter happened on a Sunday after they had discussed the project. At that point, Pascal felt that the project was something he didn’t expect to happen, but he thought that he had to do it. They walked away with their lemonade and his friend reportedly told him, “I guess you’re doing it.”
Some fans expected Krasinski to be the new Mister Fantastic because of his cameo inDoctor Strange. However, Pascal is also perfect for the role because of his acting experience and expertise. Reed is a complicated character who struggles with leadership, obsession and family. Pascal has proven himself to nail emotionally complex roles based on his performances inThe Last of UsandThe Mandalorian. Also, Reed is a genius but not boring. Pascal balances gravitas and likability with his charm and commanding presence. Additionally, Pascal is a beloved actor and his casting alone stirs excitement, giving major attention to the film and possibly a good start.
