Pedro Pascal ‘in talks’ to play Reed Richards in Marvel’s Fantastic Four

‘The Last of Us’ star is set to lead the franchise as it enters the MCU for the first time

Pedro Pascal is reportedly in talks to play Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic in Marvel Studios’ forthcoming Fantastic Four reboot.

WandaVision director Matt Shakman is set to helm the next iteration of the superhero foursome, which is scheduled for release in May 2025.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Pascal and Marvel Studios for comment.

The new Fantastic Four will represent the first time all four characters will join the interlinking Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Disney’s Marvel Studios acquired the rights to the Fantastic Four back in 2019 when the company merged with Fox.

Previous adaptations of the Marvel Comics story have included 2005’s Fantastic Four, which starred Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Ioan Gruffudd.

Pedro Pascal (left) and Ioan Gruffudd (Getty Images/20th Century Studios)

The most recent adaptation came in 2015, and starred Michael B Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell. The film was poorly recieved and is considered a box office flop.

In an interview with James Corden earlier this year, Mila Kunis shut down rumours that she had been tapped up to play Sue Storm in the new superhero film.

The rumour supposedly began when she was pictured meeting with Shakman in Los Angeles.

“Apparently, if you go to lunch with somebody that is also in the industry, you then start working together, according to the internet,” she said.

For years, US Office star John Krasinski was frequently suggested by fans as an ideal contender to play Reed Richards (aka Mr Fantastic), with Emily Blunt proposed as Sue Storm.

Krasinski did in fact pay an alternate universe version of Mr Fantastic in the MCU, in the 2021 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

However, his version of Mr Fantastic was killed off, and Marvel have subsequently said that Krasinski will not necessarily play the character within the main MCU timeline.

Chilean-American actor Pascal has a busy slate for 2024 already following the recent conclusion of the Hollywood actors’ strike.

The 48-year-old has an undisclosed role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel starring Paul Mescal as Lucius – the son of Lucilla (played by Connie Nielsen in the 2000 original).

His smash-hit HBO series The Last Of Us, based on the popular PlayStation game series, is also expected to shoot next year as well as Zach Cregger’s Barbarian follow-up, Weapons.

Fantastic Four is scheduled for release on 2 May 2025.