Reed Richards is considered the “Daddy” of the Marvel Comics Universe, so who better to play him than everybody’s favorite “Daddy,” Pedro Pascal? Pascal’s star has really taken off in recent years thanks to The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. Reportedly, the Chillean-born actor is in final talks to assume the role of Mister Fantastic, the leader of The Fantastic Four in Disney/Marvel Studios’ upcoming film.
The casting of Fantastic Four has been hotly debated online for… well, years now. Recently, names such as Adam Driver and Jake Gyllenhaal have gained buzz as insiders have teased that they were either in talks or were at least being heavily considered.
As of right now, the only other frontrunner for Fantastic Four appears to be Vanessa Kirby, who is in the running to play Sue Storm/ The Invisible Woman. But like Pascal, this is not a done deal. Marvel has not made any official announcements on the casting for this movie.
But should these pan out, that would leave two major roles to be cast — Johnny Storm/ The Human Torch and Ben Grimm/ The Thing. It is not known which villain will be featured, although most are hoping to see Doctor Doom introduced in the MCU. Since this film is slated to come out before Avengers: Kang Dynasty, this could allow Marvel the opportunity to pivot away from the character Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, who is dealing with legal issues.
As for Pedro Pascal, he will next headline Gladiator 2. He can also be recognized for Kingsman: The Golden Circle and another superhero flick, Wonder Woman 1984.
Kirby was most recently seen in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, and the Netflix series The Crown. She also co-starred in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw.
The Fantastic Four were previously featured in two movies from 20th Century Fox starring Ioan Gruffudd as Reed, Jessica Alba as Sue, Chris Evans as Johnny, Michael Chiklis as Ben, and Julian McMahon as Doom, but neither movie was well-received. They were better received than the universally reviled 2015 reboot, which featured Miles Teller as Reed, Kate Mara as Sue, Michael B. Jordan as Johnny, Jamie Bell as Ben, and Toby Kebbell as Doom.
Marvel’s take on Fantastic Four is scheduled to open on February 14, 2025.
