It’s hard to imagine MCU fans anticipating any casting in recent years more than Fantastic Quour. After months of rumors and speculation, Marvel Studios announced its lineup on Valentine’s Day 2024, starring Pedro Pascal as the titular hero Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. Since then, criticism of the actor’s appearance has flooded the internet, with many social media users calling Pascal too old for the role.
The 50-year-old star of “The Last of Us” and “The Mandalorian” said he took those comments harder than usual.
“I think sometimes the outside will find you, no matter how much you try to protect yourself from it, and that comes with the territory,” Pascal told AP Entertainment at a London-based “Fantastic Four” fan event. “I think maybe my nerves were higher than they usually are, and so I think I was a little more sensitive to the love that people have for stories like this, because I know they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the love that people have for these characters.”
Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic First: First Steps” takes place in an alternate universe with a 1960s-inspired setting. According to a recent comic book, the events of the film take place approximately four years after the founding of the superhero adventure team.
In the Marvel comics, Reed Richards gains the power to stretch his body into elastic shapes after leading an unauthorized research trip into outer space, where he is inadvertently bombarded with cosmic rays. Along for the ride are Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), all of whom gain extraordinary powers.
While exact ages are never given for the characters in their comic book origins, key details suggest Reed and Ben (longtime best friends) were both in their 30s at the time of the accident. Sue was portrayed as a relative contemporary of Reed and approximately a decade younger than her husband, placing her in her 20s when she gained her powers. Johnny was a teenager, around 16, when they entered space.
Looking at these ages, Pascal is certainly not alone in being on the older side for the character. The actor, who turned 50, is joined in the cast by Moss-Bachrach (48), Kirby (38), and Quinn (31). This puts all four actors at roughly a decade older than their comic book counterparts would have been at the time of their journey. Of course, an adaptation doesn’t have to stick to the exact parameters of the nearly 64-year-old origin story.
But performance isn’t just about looks. Pascal stated that he takes the role seriously and intended to portray the character in a way he hopes fans will find satisfying.
“I think it’s very important to me that expectations are met,” he said. “But I also know that the only way to do that is to give it my full focus, my full heart, my body, and my soul, and this was the best I could do.”
Despite Pascal’s skyrocketing popularity in recent years, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” presents the actor with a unique challenge. Although he has portrayed characters in popular franchises such as “Star Wars,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Last of Us,” and the DC Comics Universe, Reed Richards will easily be the most popular character he has taken on to date.
The actor seems to be enjoying the challenge.
“It’s the best time of my life,” Pascal said at the fan event. “I look around, and it’s an incredible reflection of what I’m experiencing right now. I’m having an incredible time.”
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hits theaters on July 25.
