The new “Fantastic Four” movie may have found its leading star: Pedro Pascal is reportedly in talks for the role of Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. The news was first reported by Deadline. IndieWire has reached out to Pascal’s representatives and those for Marvel Studios for comment.
The forthcoming “Fantastic Four” will be directed by “WandaVision” helmer Matt Shakman, with a script from Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. The film is set for a May 2, 2025 release date, marking the first MCU-proper introduction of these characters. No other casting details have been announced yet.
More from IndieWire
In addition to possibly joining the MCU with “Fantastic Four,” Pascal is gearing up to star in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator 2” opposite Paul Mescal, the next season of “The Mandalorian,” and “The Last of Us” Season 2, slated for a 2025 release.
Pascal was recently seen in Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western “Strange Way of Life” alongside Ethan Hawke, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
“He really is an actor. He can do comedy and drama. He can do musicals and classical theatre,” Almodóvar said of Pascal’s talent and career. “I feel like people are pigeonholing him. One of my hopes is that, after people see ‘Strange Way of Life,’ a light bulb might go off in people’s heads and they’ll say, ‘He can do more than what we’re employing him to do.’ Not only epic roles! I don’t have anything against epic roles, but he is more well-rounded as an actor than that.”
In 2022, John Krasinski portrayed a multiverse version of Mr. Fantastic in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” leading to speculation that he would head the standalone reboot franchise installment. However, that’s not the case in this multiverse.
Also related to the film world, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” director Jon Watts opted out of the “Fantastic Four” project earlier this year to direct the “Star Wars” Disney+ series “Skeleton Crew” with Jude Law.
The new “Fantastic Four” movie was announced in 2020 after Disney acquired the characters through its 20th Century Fox acquisition. The franchise was first released in 2005, followed by a 2007 sequel, and then a 2015 reboot that was critically panned.
“‘Fantastic Four’ is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics,” MCU head Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s certainly been versions of it [onscreen], but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. And that’s something that is really exciting for us. People will start to hear more about that soon. We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”
“Fantastic Four” is part of Marvel’s Phase 6, along with two new “Avengers” films, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” but their release dates have been pushed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” director Destin Daniel Cretton is no longer directing “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” as announced on November 15.
Best of IndieWire
Don’t miss out on the latest news! Sign up for Indiewire’s Newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
