‘Fantastic Four’ Eyes Pedro Pascal to Play Mr. Fantastic
The movie production company Marvel Studios is currently focused on casting a key character for their upcoming film, "Fantastic Four." This particular superhero squad is widely recognized in comic book history, and will now be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Pedro Pascal is being considered for the role of Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic. Reed is an intelligent scientist who gained the power to bend and stretch his body like rubber after being exposed to gamma rays during a space mission.
Pascal's streak of legendary roles would receive a boost from the latest one. He rose to fame with his impressive portrayal of Prince Oberyn Martell in "Game of Thrones." Later, he reached new heights when he landed the lead role of a bounty hunter in "The Mandalorian," the premiere "Star Wars" TV show for Disney+. Pascal, who is 48 years old, was recently up for an Emmy for his acting in HBO's ongoing series called "The Last of Us."
The famous director of "WandaVision" named Matt Shakman has been chosen to direct the upcoming Marvel film "Fantastic Four." Previously, Jon Watts, who directed three "Spider-Man" movies with Tom Holland, was supposed to direct the film but stepped down from the project. The release date of the movie is set for May 2, 2025.
In 2019, Marvel Studios gained the rights to the Fantastic Four when Disney purchased 21st Century Fox. Before this, the group of heroes, which were the first to be created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, appeared in three movies produced by Fox. These movies included the original "Fantastic Four" released in 2005, its sequel "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer" from 2007, and a reboot in 2015 that received unfavorable reviews. Ioan Gruffudd played Reed Richards, Jessica Alba portrayed Susan Storm, Michael Chiklis acted as Ben Grimm, and Chris Evans (who would later play Captain America) starred as Johnny Storm in the first cast. The 2015 reboot featured Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan who later played roles in the MCU's "Black Panther" films. A little-known fact is that in 1994, producer Roger Corman and German production company Constantin Film shot a low-budget "Fantastic Four" movie to preserve the rights to the property, but it was never released in theaters.
The new Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," will not be the first time we see the Fantastic Four characters. Actor John Krasinski will make a short appearance in the movie as an alternate universe version of Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic. In the scene, he is attacked by the Scarlet Witch and unfortunately does not survive. However, it is significant to note that Krasinski is a popular choice among Marvel fans to play the superhero, and his wife Emily Blunt is also a fan favorite for the role of Susan Storm, who has the unique ability to become invisible and create force fields.
Apart from Susan Storm, the casting for the remaining two prime characters in the title quarter is yet to be revealed. These characters include Susan's impulsive brother Johnny Storm, recognized as The Human Torch, and Reed's dearest buddy Ben Grimm, popularly known as The Thing.
