Pedro Pascal has addressed speculation that his Marvel character, Reed Richards, will become the new leader of the Avengers in the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday, saying such claims are “a little bit of a mislead.”
The rumours began earlier this month after Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman described Richards as a complex character who evolves from a “nerdy scientist” into a leader. Fans took this to mean Pascal’s character would take charge of the Avengers.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Pascal clarified that while such developments happen in the comic books, they may not reflect the direction of his character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
“It’s big news to me, that’s for one,” Pascal said. “There is something that happens in the comics where he is sort of drawn in by the Avengers family and asked to be put into a leadership position. That isn’t necessarily something that my character’s future entails.”
He added, “I am being honest in that. I am not even trying to avoid spoilers. It’s a little bit of a mislead.”
Pascal will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, set to release next year, alongside his Fantastic Four co-stars Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Despite the crossover, Pascal insists his portrayal of Reed Richards remains faithful to the character’s comic book origins.
He also spoke about his long-standing relationship with director Matt Shakman, calling their collaboration on Fantastic Four “fated.” None of the main cast auditioned in the traditional way; instead, they were cast after individual meetings with Shakman and took part in three weeks of rehearsals before filming.
“We approached the story dramaturgically as you would a play,” Pascal said, explaining how this helped the cast connect as an on-screen family.
Fantastic Four is currently showing in cinemas nationwide, distributed by Marvel Studios and Disney.
