Pedro Pascal, known for starring in hit franchises like Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, The Last of Us and more, continues to solidify his presence in Hollywood and make headlines with his performances. Amidst speculation and fan anticipation, reports from Deadline suggest that Pascal might play the role of Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) upcoming Fantastic Four Reboot. Previously, Spider-Man: Far From Home star Jake Gyllenhaal, along with Matt Smith, John Krasinski and Adam Driver were speculated contenders for the role. However, recent insights hint that Pascal will be signing the deal very soon.
As per insiders, “Three time Emmy nominee Pedro Pascal is in talks to play the leader of the iconic superhero team. Scheduling is still being worked out, but multiple sources close to the negotiations are saying it’s headed in the right direction for Pascal to do this and his other future projects.”
Reed Richards was initially introduced in Fantastic Four No 1 as the leader of Marvel’s First Family, marking the inception of the Marvel Comics Universe by the legendary duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. In films, Loan Gruffudd played the character in the 2005 and 2007 adaptations, followed by Miles Teller in 2015’s reboot. Most recently, John Krasinski played Reed in the MCU’s 2022 film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but his version is killed within minutes of his entry.
While Deadline’s reports claim, Pedro Pascal is yet to sign the contract with Marvel, However, a source close to Slash Film confirmed that the actor has, “signed on the dotted line and the deal is done and should be announced soon.”
Meanwhile, no final reports have surfaced regarding the casting of other characters, including Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (The Thing) for the upcoming Fantastic Four film. Earlier speculations hinted at Vanessa Kirby for the role of Invisible Woman. Additionally, there were talks of Antonio Banderas playing Galactus, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach might play the role of an unnamed Herald (like The Fallen One or Terrax the Tamer), or possibly a female version of Silver Surfer. The part of Human Torch is speculated to be played by Joseph Quinn, but no official confirmations have been made as of now.
Marvel Studios is planning to start filming next year. Filmmaker Matt Shakman, presently in pre-production at Pinewood Studios in England, is set to direct the project. The Marvel president Kevin Feige will produce the film.
