Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps isn’t just reimagining its team dynamics—it may also be a reflection of its lead actor’s real-world mindset. Pedro Pascal, who plays Reed Richards in the upcoming MCU reboot is no stranger to playing second banana to powerful women. He praised his co-star Vanessa Kirby in a recent Collider interview with comments that have already sparked widespread discussion.
Sue Storm and Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
“I love being led in a way,” Pascal said when asked about working opposite Kirby. “What you may identify as generosity for me, it just isn’t. I’m only inspired by… I guess just powerful women have been the thing that has gotten me through being alive. So, to have the opportunity to stand by one, to learn from one — just a partner, it’s partnership; it’s male and female, but it’s also just a kind of transcendent sort of partnership in the work and in the characters. And, so I don’t really know what the f*** I’m gonna do without you [Vanessa] honestly.”
Kirby herself responded in kind, calling Pascal the most supportive male actor she’s worked with.
“I’ve never had a male actor as a counterpart who’s been so utterly equal and supportive of the relationship, but also the female character opposite him,” she said. “I just feel so grateful every day to have an actor like Pedro who is so generous.”
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
The conversation adds fuel to an already blazing fire surrounding Marvel’s creative direction with First Steps. Producer Grant Curtis recently stated that Sue Storm—not Reed Richards—is the “true center” of the Fantastic Four.
“If you do go back through the comics, you realize that Sue Storm is arguably the leader of the Fantastic Four, because without Sue Storm, everything falls apart,” Curtis told Collider. Kirby herself emphasized that Sue won’t be portrayed as a “boss b****” or a caricature, but rather with a “genuine feminine soulfulness.”
Director Matt Shakman has also noted that Sue will be the head of the Future Foundation in the film. He described the pair’s dynamic as “an idealistic society,” adding, “If he is the most scientifically intelligent person, then she is the most emotionally intelligent person on the planet.”
(L-R): Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) with the Darksaber in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©.
For Pascal, this sort of character arrangement is far from new. Fans of The Mandalorian remember the shift in Season 3 when the focus largely moved from Pascal’s Din Djarin to Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan Kryze. Din not only relinquished the Darksaber to her, but outright pledged loyalty and servitude in a story pivot that some viewers found abrupt.
Likewise, in HBO’s The Last of Us, Pascal’s Joel is emotionally battered by nearly every major female character in the series—from Tess, to Ellie, to his therapist in the second season. In the second season Pascal’s Joel ultimately meets his end at the hands of Abby, a smaller-framed woman who bludgeons him in front of Ellie in a brutal moment that remains one of the most polarizing in gaming history.
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
While Pascal’s deference to powerful women may align with his acting philosophy, it has raised questions among some fans about what this means for the traditionally authoritative role of Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four lore. Reed has long been depicted as the leader of the group. He’s Mr. Fantastic, it’s right there in the name. Reed’s role is that of an aloof genius responsible for guiding the team.
Shifting that role to Sue Storm goes beyond a simple narrative update. It’s a deliberate reversal for the characters.
It may also shed light on why another actor reportedly passed on the role.
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens (2015), Lucasfilm
Adam Driver, who was once in talks to play Reed Richards, walked away from the project. While he never offered detailed reasons, it was reported that he “couldn’t emotionally connect” with the script or the character. While unconfirmed, some now speculate that Marvel’s approach to Reed as a passive or secondary figure may have clashed with Driver’s interpretation of the role.
This reportedly isn’t the first time Marvel has faced resistance from a leading man over creative direction. Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali is heavily rumored to have voiced frustration over early drafts of the now apparently dead Blade film, which were said to minimize the character’s presence in favor of a younger female protagonist—Blade’s daughter. According to industry insiders, the scripts read more like a “passing of the torch” movie rather than a Blade-led story, leading to delays and extensive rewrites. The backlash eventually prompted Marvel to overhaul the film’s direction, but not before the project hit multiple development snags.
A screenshot of Pedro Pascal dancing around suggestively with a rainbow colored rod – X, @pascalarchive
Pedro Pascal, on the other hand, appears fully aligned with this vision of being led by powerful women—both professionally and personally.
Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm. The film is slated to launch the MCU’s take on Marvel’s “first family” in 2025—and it may do so with a brand new definition of who’s in charge.
How do you feel about Pedro Pascal and his statements on powerful women? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
