When the news first dropped that Pedro Pascal was playing Reed Richards, the internet basically had a collective meltdown. Some people loved it. Others were convinced it was "lazy casting" because the guy is literally everywhere. I mean, between The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and Gladiator II, it did feel like you couldn't turn on a screen without seeing his face.
But now that The Fantastic Four: First Steps has finally hit theaters, the conversation has shifted. It’s not just about "Pascal fatigue" anymore. It’s about how he actually handled the role of the smartest man alive. Honestly? It's a lot weirder and more cerebral than what we got with Ioan Gruffudd or Miles Teller.
The Octopus in the Room
One of the coolest—and honestly kind of bizarre—things about Pedro’s prep for the role was his inspiration. You'd think he'd look at old rubber-man cartoons or contortionists. Nope. He went with an octopus.
Pascal mentioned in an interview with ComicBook that he focused on the "brilliance" of an octopus. Not just the way they move, but how their brains work. He viewed Reed as a "brain character" first. The stretching is almost secondary to how his mind adapts and solves problems. When you watch the movie, you see it in the way he moves. It's not just "stretchy guy punches thing." It’s fluid. It’s calculated.
Why the 1960s Setting Actually Matters
Setting the movie in a retro-futuristic 1960s (specifically Earth-828) wasn't just a gimmick. It gave Pascal room to play a version of Reed that feels like a Space Age celebrity. He’s not a moping scientist in a basement. He’s a public figure.
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Kevin Feige and director Matt Shakman leaned hard into that "optimism" of the 60s. Pascal’s Reed carries that weight of being a leader while also being a total nerd about teleportation and cosmic rays.
- The Family Dynamic: This isn't just a superhero team. It's a family.
- The Science: Reed’s inventions have literally brought world peace in this universe.
- The Conflict: He’s forced to choose between his unborn son, Franklin, and the entire planet.
That last point is where people get heated. In the film, Reed actually considers Galactus’s offer to hand over Franklin to save Earth. It’s a moment that makes you realize Reed Richards is, well, kind of a freak. He’s so logical it becomes scary.
Is He Too "Likable" for Reed Richards?
Some critics, like those over at Popverse, argued that Pascal makes Reed a bit too "suave" and "well-adjusted." Usually, Reed is portrayed as this socially awkward guy who forgets to eat because he’s staring at a microscope.
Pascal’s version has more of that "Daddy" energy he’s become famous for. He’s a stylish middle-aged man who is genuinely in love with Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm. But if you look closer, the awkwardness is still there. It’s just buried under the pressure of being a global icon.
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He plays Reed with this constant nervous energy. You can tell he’s running through ten thousand "worst-case scenarios" every second. That’s the most comic-accurate part of the performance. Reed’s genius is basically a neurosis. He’s smart enough to know exactly how much he can’t control, and it clearly terrifies him.
Breaking Down the Plot Points
The movie moves fast. We start four years after they got their powers. They’re already famous.
- The Discovery: Reed figures out that planets are disappearing.
- The Pregnancy: Sue reveals she’s pregnant, which should be happy news, but Reed is busy calculating if the baby will have reality-warping powers (spoiler: he does).
- The Arrival: The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) shows up in Times Square and basically says, "You're all doomed."
- The Choice: Galactus wants the baby. Reed tries to "science" a way out of it by building global teleportation bridges to move the entire Earth.
It’s high-concept stuff. And while some fans complained that we didn't see enough of the "stretching eyeballs" or goofy body horror from the comics, the focus on the Future Foundation and Reed’s intellect felt like a fresh direction for the MCU.
What This Means for Avengers: Doomsday
We already know Pascal’s Reed is going to be a major player in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. With Robert Downey Jr. coming back as Victor von Doom, the chemistry between him and Pascal is going to be the backbone of the next few years of Marvel.
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The ending of First Steps leaves the team in a weird spot. They’ve saved the world, but the public is kind of wary of them after the whole "maybe we should sacrifice the baby" debate.
If you want to dive deeper into the lore before the next crossover, there are a few things you should actually do.
First, go back and read the 2011 FF run by Jonathan Hickman. It’s clearly the blueprint for Pascal’s "Council of Reeds" energy and the focus on the Future Foundation. Second, keep an eye on the Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 prequel comic. It gives a lot more context on their relationship with Mole Man (played by Paul Walter Hauser) that the movie only brushes over.
Pascal didn't just play a superhero; he played a father who happens to be a genius. Whether he's too "over-exposed" or not, he’s definitely redefined what Mr. Fantastic looks like for a new generation.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out the Hickman run of Fantastic Four (Issues #570-611) to see where the "Future Foundation" concept originated.
- Watch the featurettes on the First Steps digital release to see the behind-the-scenes of the retro-futuristic New York set design.
- Re-watch The Last of Us to see how Pascal subtly uses that same "burdened father" acting style that he brought to Reed Richards.