Could Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards Replace Jonathan Majors' Kang as the MCU Multiverse Saga Villain?

Marvel fans got a shock yesterday when it was announced that Pedro Pascal has been cast as Reed Richards in Marvel's Fantastic Four Reboot. The casting of Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us) has sparked a major debate about why he was the choice for this particular Marvel role – but that answer could have as much to do with offscreen plans than any audition results. 

Marvel Studios has a well-documented problem on its hands right now, with the casting of Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror/He Who Remains/Victor Timely, the lynchpin big bad of this Marvel Cinematic Universe Multiverse Saga. With rumors growing that Marvel Studios and Disney have been making moves to replace Majors (and possibly Kang) as the next MCU big bad, this Pedro Pascal Reed Richards casting could turn out to be a case of killing two birds with one stone. 

The Council of Reeds 

In Marvel Comics lore, Reed Richards has had as much trouble with his own variants as Kang has. The Interdimensional Council of Reeds is a multiversal protection group that was started by three Reed Richards who obtained the Infinity Gauntlet in their respective universe. They recruited fatherless Reed Richards variants who could give up their family and personal ties in order to protect the multiverse, working from a headquarters (or "hall") tucked in non-space that exists between universes. 

The key turn for the Council of Reeds came when they met Reed of Earth 616 (Mister Fantastic), whose love of his own father and family made him reject their offer of recruitment. The Council would then show up in various Marvel Comics stories over the years, threatening (or impersonating) Reed and making attempts to takeover or destroy Earth 616 – or having a change of heart and once again working toward more noble goals. 

Why Reed Richards Can Be The Multiverse Saga Big Bad

Obviously, the Council of Reeds and its backstory are comic content that the MCU can take and easily refit it for what is being done with Kang in the Multiverse Saga. In fact, it would arguably be one of the biggest shock twists in the MCU since the early days to see the Fantastic Four end with the Council of Reeds ambushing and pruning the Council of Kangs from existence, as part of its mission of protecting the Multiverse. And, while the group would initially look like heroes, there has been one villainous Reed Richards variant who has grown very popular in modern times – and many fans believe that part of Pedro Pascals' job will be to portray him, as well. 

The Maker was once the Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic of Marvel's "Ultimate" Universe imprint – before taking a villainous turn and becoming one of the major architects of the Ultimate Universe's end. The Maker has lived on in the main Marvel Universe (and fans' hearts) tinkering with ways to re-establish his universe – even partnering with the rebooted Council of Reeds to do it. 

While the comic book continuity is pretty convoluted, the MCU could simply recast The Maker as the leader of the Council of Reeds, who outmaneuvers Kang with his own plan of controlling the Marvel Multiverse. That changeover has organic roots in the fact that the original Kang (Nathaniel Richards) is supposed to be a future descendant of Reed Richards, creating more time-loop opportunities for pruning the villain entirely via Fantastic Four. 

Finally, the 2010s Secret Wars comic story arc by Jonathan Hickman is often held up as a fan-favorite for the way it is both a major alt-reality sci-fi tale but also focuses in on a much more intimate conflict, between Reed Richards and his rival Doctor Doom. Doom ends up being the one who pulls together fragments of the Multiverse into a world where he is god-king, and it is ultimately Reed who has to defeat him and help reboot the Marvel Universe. The MCU could still do that version of Secret Wars if Doom and Reed Richards replace Kang as the major focuses of the Multiverse Saga. 

Considering all the challenges Marvel Studios has with handling Jonathan Majors' Kang, launching a new MCU Fantastic Four and making Avengers 4 & 5 feel both suitably epic and still personal... this seems like a promising way through. 

The Fantastic Four has a theatrical release date of May 2, 2025.