Pedro Pascal Responds To Fantastic Four Backlash, Robert Downey Jr. Defends Him

Pedro Pascal Responds To Fantastic Four Backlash, Robert Downey Jr. Defends Him

Pedro Pascal opened up in a recent interview about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and admitted he’s feeling the heat from fan reactions.

Pascal addressed the perceived backlash over his casting, where he plays Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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“He’s too old. He’s not right.”

He told Vanity Fair, “I’m more aware of disgruntlement around my casting than anything I’ve ever done. ‘He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave.’”

Pascal added that being part of the MCU isn’t without pressure. However, he credited Robert Downey Jr. with helping him navigate it, as both are confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.

“He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent,” Pascal said.

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Downey Backs Pascal

Downey praised Pascal’s rise in Hollywood, saying, “Pascal’s slow trajectory to becoming a household name who is on a wildly hot streak kind of reaffirms my faith in our industry.”

Release info

The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets released July 25.

Avengers: Doomsday hits December 18, 2026.

About Will Harrigan

Will Harrigan writes about comics, movies, and pop culture for Cosmic Book News. He is a comic book and film enthusiast, with a particular interest in cosmic comics.

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