Pedro Pascal calls playing Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps a “really intimidating” experience

Pedro Pascal is stepping into one of the most iconic roles in the Marvel universe — and even with his long history in massive franchises, the actor admits the pressure this time around was something else entirely.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pascal opened up about taking on the role of Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, in Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps, calling the experience “really intimidating." The film, directed by Emmy nominee Matt Shakman, is set to hit theatres on July 25 and will introduce a retrofuturistic twist to the classic superhero team by placing them in an alternate 1960s timeline.

“I relied on the people that I was around to hold me to the experience and help get me through it,” Pascal shared. “Every time I’ve stepped into something huge — Game of Thrones, Narcos, Star Wars, The Last of Us — I always think I can’t top how intimidating it was, but each one somehow is. You just want to make people happy, especially when there’s a lot of love and expectation tied to the character.”

Pascal emphasised the delicate balance between meeting fan expectations and staying true to his own instincts as an actor: “You also want to be authentic to yourself so that it can be the best that it can be for anybody who wants to be entertained by a story and travel with us into this world.”

Joining Pascal in First Steps is a star-studded cast that includes Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The film also features Julia Garner, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson.

Speaking about his own take on Johnny Storm, Quinn noted that the version fans will see in this film is quite different from the 2005 portrayal by Chris Evans. “He was branded as this womanising, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so,” Quinn said. “This Johnny is less callous with people’s feelings. There’s a bit more self-awareness behind his attention-seeking behaviour — and that was something we really developed in conversations with Kevin Feige.”