Yes, we’re all seeing those “Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic” rumors, too
The Marvel casting rumor mill has now swept up everybody's favorite Last Of Us/Mandalorian daddy
Aux News Pedro Pascal
Can we start this with a question, one intended with no disrespect to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, or, god help us, Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, or poor, cameo-trapped John Krasinski?
Do any of us actually give a shit who plays Mr. Fantastic?
We’re just saying: The amount of speculation that has now been spilled about the casting fate of the character you got stuck playing as on the playground after the rock man, the fire guy, and the woman who can make forcefields explode in your brain were already picked has gotten at least mildly unfathomable at this point. Now self-appointed “cool slutty daddy”—his words! Don’t yell at us!—Pedro Pascal has been sucked into the rumor mill, too, with Deadline reporting that the Last Of Us star and genre stalwart is supposedly in talks with Marvel for taking a shot at the role of stretchy super-scientist Reed Richards.
If true, that’s mostly interesting for what it says about where Marvel intends to take the Fantastic Four movie, which is currently scheduled for May 2, 2025. Pascal is, after all, 48 at the moment, and would be 50 when the movie comes out—so at the very least it suggests that the movie won’t be a straight origin story pegged to the quartet’s younger years. (Which, fair enough: We’ve already got two of those, neither great, so the idea has probably run its course.) Deadline quotes a bunch of anonymous sources that say “scheduling is still being worked out”—Pascal’s crazy-busy right now, between The Last Of Us, Gladiator 2, and more—but that negotiations are “headed in the right direction.” And, hey, the internet seems to like it well enough (which, we suspect is at least half the reason stories like this leak, as a sort of free, informal dose of focus testing), even if a lot of people are suggesting Pascal might be better in an antagonist role as Doctor Doom. In any case, Pascal’s an interesting-enough actor that he’d find something fun to do with the part, which, you could argue, has never really been nailed on film. So, yeah: Put it on the vision board, “Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic.” We’ve seen worse.
67 Comments
Fantastic Four is such a 60’s comic. Unless they change it up, it won’t move the needle.
Or lean into it, and hire a director that knows how to set the right tone for the project like they did with Joe Johnston and the first Captain America movie.
If they come from another universe, then they can come from whatever “era” the director wants.
Captain America: First Avenger made 300 million dollars. Winter Soldier made 700 million dollars. I’m guessing there’s not really a huge audience for a campy 90’s-era Rocketeer-style comic book movie in 2023.
eh. Iron Man “only” made 585 million. None of the phase 1 flicks did insane monster business, until/except *Avengers*. Winter Soldier boosts off of Steve being in Avengers and people wanting to see more MCU. I’m not saying you’re ENTIRELY wrong, but it’s also not a straight up comparison either.
That has less to do with quality of the works and more to do the growing MCU at the time. First Avenger was still a risky underdog of a movie at the time. Winter Soldier came out post Avengers and was a guaranteed hit. The fact that it’s probably the best MCU movie doesn’t hurt either. But without First Avenger we never get Winter Soldier
If they had balls, they’d skip a movie and make a show called Keeping Up with the Richards (ok not that, but something clever). Really lean into the idea of the Fantastic Four as celebrities and how they handle parasocial relationships with the people they save. But commit to the bit and do the whole thing as a mockumentary.We’ll probably just get something that ends with a sky laser instead.
‘What We Do in the Baxter Building’.
Yes, because Dr. Strange wasn’t https://www.cbr.com/doctor-strange-steve-ditko-psychedelic/
“I’m an impoverished adult – and I’d just like to correct your ignorant comment about a comic book character that I – an adult – care deeply about. Because I have no friends and i’ll be making sandwiches until I’m 80″.
Hire Brad Bird and have him go full The Incredibles on it
Never seen The Incredibles but the whole “a close-knit family of superhero adventurers/explorers” (it’s kind of like that, right?) is exactly how FF4 should be tackled.
You’ve never seen The Incredibles?!?! It still holds up as one of the best super hero movies of all time. Funny, smart, and overflowing with 60’s james bond/spy style once it starts really going.
This is why I still think they should have tapped Peyton Reed to do FF and give him a chance to follow through on his pitch for a FF movie that was set in the 60s.
Yeah, Spider-man, too.
Being in his 40’s for an origin could work. I mean you would expect the smartest, most educated/accomplished person in the world not to be 25 or something. Plus RDJ was 43 when Iron Man came out so not that much younger.
I like Pascal but unless they do something drastically different with the character, he seems like a really odd choice.
The real Reed Richards is kind of an aloof sometimes-sociopathic douche obsessed with his own self-interested pursuits to the point it destroys his family over and over and over again. That guy sucks. He’s not fun. And no one has ever had the courage to put him in a movie.Which makes sense. He wouldn’t be particularly endearing except to a sense of particularly entitled young man who thinks the world has outgrown him before he had a chance to make a mark in it. He’s a 60’s dad, but the 60’s dad who hides in the basement from the kids with a scotch and slaps his wife when she gets too high and mighty (a thing he literally did).That said, Whiskey from Kingsman: The Golden Circle exists. Joel from The Last of Us exists. If anyone can take an utter piece of garbage and make him interesting for two hours, it’s Pedro Pascal.And if the movie really is about Vanessa Kirby on her “anti-Illuminati Separation turned Shield Agent” arc before the status quo forced her to accept another one of Reed’s apologies so she can walk back her character development, someone as charming and (subtly venomous when he has to be) as Pedro Pascal would nail it.EDIT: There’s a lot to work with if they focus on Sue, since she’s the most interesting and powerful member of the team. Her repeated trysts with less toxic men (especially in the Ultimate Comics by Hickman), her struggle to maintain a family that Reed is casually willing to tear apart five seconds before he gets all teary eyed and says he won’t do it again. Sue has a history of evolving faster than the men around her while never being seen as the true leader — even though everyone outside of the Fantastic Four (including Doctor Doom) sees her as its most powerful asset and trustworthy ally.
“The real Reed Richards is kind of an aloof sometimes-sociopathic douche obsessed with his own self-interested pursuits to the point it destroys his family over and over and over again.”Nah that’s the shitty Ultimate/new Marvel version of him.
Do your parents call you a faggot to your face, or just behind your back?
Venture Bros did it right by making their version of him an abusive husband and villain.
I mean, in the comics Reed Richards WAS an abusive husband and a villain.
Based on your first paragraph I think Glenn Howerton would be perfect for the role
Less toxic men? Like… Namor?
Less toxic men? Like… Namor?I said what I said.The guy whose origin story was stealing a spaceship and specifically disregarding the massive risk of cosmic rays that traumatized his closest friends, then went on to blow up entire universes, create a black site to disappear villains indefinitely into an alternate dimension, clone and unleash a murderous evil Thor on superheroes, shoot Hulk into space without asking Banner if he would go willingly, and even shut down his son’s X-gene is slightly more toxic than even the repeated mass murderer Namor.
Makes very little sense.
I don’t think they’ll do this, because the MCU rarely listens to me, but … I would like an early-60s FF origin, just like in the comics. Then about a half hour into the movie, they head off to the Negative Zone and get trapped. Then they show up nowadays, having been a mostly-forgotten superteam from 1963. I could even figure a way to shoehorn that in with Fury’s assembling of heroes since he met Carol Danvers: he LOOKED for the FF but no one’s seen them since they landed after their original cosmic ray flight, beat up a monster in NYC, then took off after Annhilus or whoever.In other words, I don’t really care who plays Reed Richards or really anyone in the FF. Casting isn’t my problem – making them an established team, one that’s worked together for years (albeit in another dimension – what the heck, it could be the Quantum Realm) and is not a bunch of whiney newbies, is more important. (I think we’re going to get some whiney newbies if the Young Avengers thing ever happens.)
Not a fan of the “secret superhero from the past”, it worked okay with Ant-Man, but they have to be careful with revisionist history. They could just be from an alternate dimension that’s basically still the 60’s. Not a perfect solution, but it’s what I’m hoping for.
I sincerely love your take. I would watch the shit out of this movie. Especially if their Negative Zone trip can somehow pull Galactus and Surfer into this realm. Perhaps Big G was the then-distant threat/reason Reed went to the Neg Zone to begin with? And now that the FF are back, the threat is imminent and Reed is the only one who knows what to do?
Reverse psychology, nice
“which, we suspect is at least half the reason stories like this leak, as a sort of free, informal dose of focus testing”what??? no! never!
Seems like a stretch.
Quit pulling my leg.
Solid, subtle star catcher.
It’s not a fantastic idea
I’m OK with Pascal, would prefer it to not be Krasinski, but my personal choice is Aldis Hodge. And since it looks like he won’t have anymore DC commitments …
Uh, your personal choice is a terrible idea.
Enough with the “Daddy” bullshit.
Broke things off with a guy several years ago because he wouldn’t stop calling me “Daddy.” Fuck off with that shit.
Fuck yourself, Daddy.
Sorry, Daddy.
It’s weird innit?
I guess context is important. I dated a woman who called me daddy as a term of affection, like a nickname. I think it’s common with black women.
It is not common with black women. What a dumb thing to post.
Here on the west side of Chicago it is. How many black women have you actually dated? I have you beat.
Your issues may not apply to everyone.
You sound stable.
I also heard that Diego Luna is going to play Sue Storm, and Leslie Jones will be the Thing. Strangely enough, Chris Evans is playing the Human Torch… but non-binary.
No matter who you cast, stretching powers will always look silly onscreen. There’s no way around it.
Such a fine line between silly and horrifying.
Rule of thumb: if the skin stays on, it’s silly. Otherwise…
Don’t Chris Pratt my Pedro.
Somebody but the hardcore fans cares about a Fantastic 4 movie ? We already had 3 and they were not big hits and today between the superhero fatigue and the low quality of anything Disney (but Andor) I really can’t imagine it will be anything but a failure.
I really like Pedro Pascal, but he doesn’t have to play everyone
He’s not playing everyone..?
Some of these rumoured cast announcements have me scratching my head but making the FF relevant again also has me scratching my head so maybe they’ve found a passable avenue
I’m not sure he gives off the nerd vibes necessary for Reed Richards.
ACTING!!!
Fuck that he is too old
Lol no.
gotta hand it to em if this ends up being true – it’s both lazy and completely wrong.
Showing up on the red carpet in PJs. Love it.
LOVE the guy. But I don’t see what was so wrong with Krasinksi. Or is Krazinski just supposed to be a “What if?” multiverse version?
Step 1: Learn Emily Blunt turned down a role in Avengers as Black Widow.Step 2: Desperately want to see Emily Blunt play a character in the MCU.Step 3: Wonder if they’re going to make another Fantastic Four movie and make fan art of Emily Blunt playing Sue Storm.Step 4: Watch A Quiet Place and realize John Krasinski is married to Emily Blunt. Add John Krasinski as Reed Richards to all discussions of Emily Blunt as Sue Storm because why not cast two actors who are married to play two actors who are married (this is how people who don’t cast movies think about everything)?Step 5: Marvel and John Krasinski think it’s a funny joke and put it in a movie.Step 6: Fans are ambivalent about the actual performance and either forget about it and move on or become singularly obsessed with seeing a guy in the thing be in the thing again because of course the guy in the thing should just keep being in the thing.Step 7: Forget Emily Blunt was the whole point of this discussion in the first place.
The most interesting part to me is that apparently they were after Jake Gyllenhal for a while, which would have just had zero acknowledgement of his having played Mysterio.
Honestly, I’m just wondering what The Maker will look like when he becomes the main villain of the Multiverse Saga.
I don’t know what it is, but this choice just seems kind of boring. Also, if they want them to have longevity and are after Vanessa Kirby (35), hiring a dude already pushing 50 seems odd to me.