10 Reasons Pedro Pascal Is The Perfect Casting For Reed Richards In Marvel's Fantastic Four Movie

Though Marvel has yet to make an official casting announcement, Pedro Pascal was reported to be playing Reed Richards in Marvel's Fantastic Four - here's why he's perfect for the role. Pascal is the latest in a string of rumored Fantastic Four cast members for the MCU, with various names reportedly being attached the roles of Marve's First Family since last summer. As the movie's 2025 release date gets closer, Marvel will have to make a decision soon in order for filming to start.

If it does turn out that Pedro Pascal is playing Reed Richards, Marvel has made a great choice for the role. Pascal has proven himself capable of playing a range of different characters, meaning he is more than up for the challenge. He has also played some characters who have overlapping personality traits with Reed Richards, meaninghe already knows some of what it takes to be Mister Fantastic. Here are 10 reasons Pascal is perfect for the role of Reed Richards in the MCU.

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10 Pedro Pascal Has Proven His Action Skills

He's Starred In Action Franchises On Both Film And Television

Pedro Pascal has had quite a few roles that have shown off his action skills. Pascal famously plays Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, and showed off his fight choreography skills in Game of Thrones as Oberyn Martell. Perhaps his flashiest action role was in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. The exaggerated action of the Kingsman franchise isn't a far cry from the MCU most of the time, so Pascal would likely be able to keep up in Marvel's Fantastic Four movie.

Apart from fantasy and science fiction roles, Pascal also has experience in more grounded action movies. He appeared in The Equalizer 2, and had an ongoing role in Netflix's Narcos. Pascal has proven he can convincingly play many types of action roles, so he can definitely adapt to the MCU's style of doing things.

9 Pedro Pascal Can Capture Reed Richards' Complexity

There Are Many Sides To Reed Richards

On the face, Reed Richards is a kind and caring man, the type of person one might expect to be a superhero. However, Reed isn't always his cheery genial self. When faced with a problem he can't solve, Reed can become withdrawn. He blames himself for not being good enough to solve everything. He has also made some seriously questionable moral decisions, even though he was trying to do good.

For the MCU version of Reed Richards to capture the character's complexity, Marvel needs an actor who can be charming and likable but also self-destructive and possibly even dangerously arrogant. Luckily, Pascal has proven that he can play characters with a lot of depthand a complex moral code. In The Last of Us, for example, Pascal's character makes a supremely selfish decision fueled by his personal trauma. Pascal manages to sell the inner conflict and not completely alienate the audience. This is because Pascal is good at communicating what a character's motivations are and making them believable.

8 Pedro Pascal Can Be A Good Father Figure

Reed Richards May Be Or Become A Father In The MCU

Pedro Pascal has played a father figure so many times that it has become a consistent theme of his work. In both The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, Pascal's character takes a younger person under his wing as a surrogate child. In Wonder Woman 1984, even though he is a villain, Pascal's character is also a father who clearly loves his son. He also plays the dad of the main character in the movie We Can Be Heroes.

It has yet to be revealed if the MCU's version of Reed will be a father like he is in the comics, but even before having Franklin and Valeria, Reed was a paternal figure. The Fantastic Four are referred to as Marvel's First Family, and Reed has always served as the father in that dynamic. Pascal's penchant for playing dads and doing so well would be a huge asset when portraying Reed Richards.

7 Pedro Pascal Has The Comedy Chops To Fit The MCU Tone

The MCU Often Mixes Action With Humor

Most MCU actors need to have at least some comedic skill, since the movies don't always take themselves too seriously. Even though Reed Richards will likely be less funny than heroes like Deadpool or the Guardians of the Galaxy, being able to deliver a solid quip may still be part of the job description. Luckily, Pascal has experience balancing comedy with action from several of his past roles.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle has a similar tone to the MCU, balancing its action with a lot of humor. Pascal also starred in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where he played an obsessive but lovable Nicolas Cage fan. Pascal's Game of Thrones character also had some funny lines, despite most often being righteously angry. Given all his experience, Pascal would definitely be able to fit the MCU's more lighthearted tone.

6 Pedro Pascal's Popularity Could Help The MCU

The Actor Has Gained Massive Acclaim In Recent Years

The MCU has seemingly stumbled a bit recently, prompting renewed discussions of superhero fatigue. This issue has been brought up repeatedly since the MCU started, and is usually forgotten as soon as a major hit breathes new life into the franchise. Marvel's Fantastic Four is a chance to introduce new popular characters into the Marvel universe. Disney CEO Bob Iger even mentioned Fantastic Four as one of the recognizable properties he hoped he could fall back on when recently discussing the state of the MCU.

One way to help generate more interest in Marvel's Fantastic Four is by casting at least a few actors that are already popular. Pascal has a large fan base, and will likely stay popular as he continues starring in big projects like The Last of Us season 2 and the recently announced Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu. This could help generate more excitement around Fantastic Four and the wider MCU through proximity.

5 Mister Fantastic's Powers Can Be Goofy, But Pascal Can Make Them Cool

The Actor Has Experience Playing A Silly Situation More Seriously

Reed Richards's ability to stretch his body has certainly proven helpful in Fantastic Four stories, but it's hard to deny that they can be a little silly. This will be particularly tricky in the MCU, where Reed's powers will be among some of the strangest, at least visually. Marvel will want an actor who can sell Reed's powers as something cool and useful instead of simply something to speculate about humorously.

Luckily, Pedro Pascal has some experience playing things straight, even when they are out of the ordinary. In The Mandalorian for instance, he often interacts with a tiny puppet as Grogu, but he does so very earnestly. It's that type of ability to take fictional elements of the world seriously, even when they can be silly, that would make Pascal a good choice for Reed Richards.

4 Pedro Pascal Has Played A Hero And Villain, And Reed Has Been Both

The MCU's Reed Richards May Lean More Hero Than Villain

Though Reed Richards has the best intentions, he has sometimes acted more like a villain than a hero. In Marvel Comics's Civil War, he helped Tony Stark lock away heroes in inhumane conditions and created a clone of Thor who went on a rampage and killed one of Ben Grimm's close friends, Goliath. Even though Reed thought he was in the right, his actions were very extreme, and it took him too long to realize what he was doing was wrong.

Pedro Pascal has played a wide range of characters. He was heroic in The Mandalorian, and a villain in Wonder Woman 1984. Pascal has also played morally dubious characters like Joel Miller in The Last of Us, who is one of the show's protagonists, but can make some awful choices. This range will help him play Reed at his best and his worst.

3 Pedro Pascal Has Already Worked With Other MCU Talent

The Actor Is Famously Friends With The MCU's Moon Knight Star

Being a part of the MCU means working with a massive cast of actors. Luckily, Pedro Pascal already knows some of the other actors from the MCU and has worked with some before. Pascal worked with Taika Waititi on The Mandalorian and Peter Dinklage on Game of Thrones. Pascal also did work on Amend: The Fight for America along with Marvel stars Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury, and Mahershala Ali, who's set to play Blade.

Outside his acting work, Pascal is also friends with Oscar Isaac, who plays Moon Knight in the MCU. Though Pascal hasn't worked with some of the big-name MCU actors, he does have enough connections. This means he can reach out to them for advice, and will likely have a good rapport with them on screen if they share scenes together.

2 Pedro Pascal's Charisma Can Help Fill The Gap Left By Tony Stark

Reed Richards Could Fill The Void Left After Avengers: Endgame

The MCU lost some major heroes after Avengers: Endgame, and with them some big personalities. Tony Stark was arguably the biggest loss, as Robert Downey Jr. was the one to kick-start the MCU in the first place. Reed Richards, as another genius inventor, does feel like the right character to fill some of the gap left by Tony. However, any actor stepping into the role will need to have a lot of charisma to be the next Tony Stark.

Although many of Pedro Pascal's characters are more stoic, the man himself has proven very charming and likable in interviews. Though different from Downey's specific charm, Pascal has a lot of charisma that he can bring to Fantastic Four if he's cast. Pascal can help fill the role of charismatic leading actor while also feeling distinct from Downey and not like an imitation.

1 Pedro Pascal Has Proven He Can Commit To Big Franchises

The Actor Has Joined Massive Franchises In The Past

Actors joining the MCU in a major role aren't just committing to a single movie. Often, they will need to commit to sequels, cameos, and/or Avengers crossoverappearances. Knowing that an actor is willing to commit to the role for a long period of time would be a benefit to Marvel when choosing someone for Reed Richards.

Luckily, Pedro Pascal has already proven himself willing to commit to a franchise, and one that's also owned by Disney. Pascal has been in three seasons of The Mandalorian, made an appearance as the same character in The Book of Boba Fett, and will be starring in The Mandalorian & Grogu. Disney already knows they can count on Pascal to stick around and do a good job, so he seems like the perfect choice for a spot in Marvel's Fantastic Four.

Marvel's Fantastic Four

Release Date July 25, 2025

Director Matt Shakman

Writers Josh Friedman , Jeff Kaplan , Ian Springer

Key Release Dates