Fantastic Four’s Pedro Pascal Admits He Questioned His Own MCU Casting

The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Pedro Pascal admits he questioned whether or not he was the right person to play Reed Richards in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking with Empire as part of the magazine’s preview coverage of the upcoming blockbuster, the fan-favorite actor recalled the doubts he had before signing on to make the film. Pascal had an understanding of how well-rounded a character Reed Richards is, and knew any actor portraying him would need to display a variety of traits. As he was discussing the possibility of taking on the role with a friend, Pascal had a chance encounter with Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman and Shakman’s daughter, who was selling lemonade. Pascal figured “it was destiny” after that.

“I wasn’t sceptical at all of this as a piece,” Pascal said, expressing his enthusiasm for the film. “But I was skeptical over [Shakman’s] choice to cast me. I was questioning if I would serve it as best as it was meant to be served — to be convincing as an astrophysicist, as a father, a husband.”

Funnily enough, Shakman cast Pascal as Reed Richards specifically because he felt Pascal could convincingly portray all of the character’s layers. When discussing his casting process, Shakman explained he wanted to find an actor “who could contain multitudes” since Reed is a brilliant scientist, a loving family man, and an action hero all in one. That line of thinking led him to Pascal, who’s demonstrated a strong range throughout his career.

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After making his MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pascal will play a significant role in the franchise moving forward. He is set to reprise Reed Richards in both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which serve as the conclusion to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

Pascal’s comments provide insight into how he looks at potential projects for him to star in. He’s spoken in the past about how he found The Fantastic Four: First Steps to be an intimidating prospect, even after appearing in high-profile titles like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. Knowing how anticipated the film is among MCU fans and how important it is to the franchise’s larger plans, Pascal had a firm grasp on its magnitude and wanted to make sure he could do the film justice. There was no shortage of talented actors rumored to be in the running for Reed, so Pascal beat out some tough competition. It’s encouraging that he still took his time to evaluate everything before signing on, an indication that he takes the role very seriously and did everything he could to ensure he delivers a captivating performance.

Early looks at The Fantastic Four: First Steps indicate Shakman’s feelings about Pascal were right. The glimpses at Reed in trailers and TV spots check a lot of the boxes the director was looking for, portraying the character as a dedicated husband and hero who will do his best to protect people. That bodes well for Pascal’s performance in the finished film, and hopefully he will be another memorable addition to the MCU.