In a recent promotional interview for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, actors Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Pedro Pascal sparked controversy when Moss-Bachrach suggested that if given his character’s powers he would throw “fascists” into outer space. Of course, “fascists” is a term commonly used by left-leaning figures and Hollywood celebrities to describe President Donald Trump and his supporters—prompting Pascal to high-five him and exclaim “F*****g A!”
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) July 29, 2025
The exchange, which some interpret as a veiled reference to lethal action against Trump and his base, was captured during an IMDb fan Q&A on July 25, 2025, and has gone viral amid the film’s front-loaded underwhelming box office performance, raising questions about Hollywood’s intersection with politics.
The Interview Exchange
The cast, including Pascal as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch), fielded casual questions about their roles. When asked what they would do with their characters’ powers for a day in real life, responses ranged from the whimsical—Kirby joking about skipping airport lines—to Moss-Bachrach’s more pointed remark.
“There’s a handful of fascists that I would just throw into outer space,” Moss-Bachrach said, referencing The Thing’s superhuman strength.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and the cast of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ answer questions from IMDb fans, including how they’d wield their superpowers in their daily lives pic.twitter.com/kuh92Jx6Ph
— IMDb (@IMDb) July 25, 2025
Pascal immediately high-fived him with enthusiasm, as the group laughed. The clip, shared widely on platforms like X, has amassed millions of views, with users debating its implications.
While the statement avoids naming specific individuals, critics argue the term “fascist” is often used in left-leaning circles to describe Trump and his base of supporters. This interpretation gains traction given the actors’ past political expressions, though neither has confirmed the intent behind the comment.
Pedro Pascal’s History of Political Commentary
Pedro Pascal, known for roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, has a well-documented record of criticizing Trump and his supporters, frequently invoking fascist comparisons to brutal evil regimes of the past. In November 2020, shortly after the U.S. presidential election, Pascal posted (and later deleted) an image captioned in a way that equated Trump voters with historical oppressors.
A post shared by Pedro Pascal around the time Gina Carano was fired. Pascal suffered no blowback or consequences for it – Instagram
He has also shared memes and statements likening Trump’s policies to authoritarian regimes. In 2018, Pascal posted a side-by-side image of the sites of horrid atrocities in Europe juxtaposed with modern U.S. immigration detention centers, implying parallels under Trump’s administration.
These instances suggest Pascal uses “fascist” rhetoric pointedly against Trump-era politics, lending credence to interpretations that the high-five endorsed Moss-Bachrach’s comment in a similar vein.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Political Leanings
Moss-Bachrach, acclaimed for his role in The Bear, has been less vocal publicly but has shown criticism of Trump.
In a June 2020 X post, he mocked a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, highlighting “MAKE SPACE GREAT AGAIN” shirts amid what he called a “debacle,” referring to the event’s low turnout and controversies. This post aligns with broader Hollywood skepticism toward Trump, though it stops short of explicit “fascist” labels.
The Thing and Herbie the Robot in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Searches for additional quotes reveal limited direct statements. Moss-Bachrach has not frequently engaged in political discourse on social media or in interviews, focusing more on his acting career.
However, his recent “fascists” comment in the Fantastic Four interview has been linked by observers to anti-Trump sentiment, especially in the post-2024 election climate where terms like “fascist” surged in usage against the president. No explicit quotes calling Trump or his supporters fascists were found in public records, but the context of his progressive-leaning roles and associations may imply alignment with such views.
Public Reactions and Broader Implications
The clip ignited backlash on X and conservative media.
The irony.. killing people that disagree with you is a pretty fascist idea..
— DaGhostDS (@DaGhostDS) July 29, 2025
“The irony,” one user said. “Killing people that disagree with you is a pretty fascist idea.”
These fools wouldn’t know fascism if it made them lock themselves in their homes for over a year and cover their faces for every public encounter while ostracizing any doubt in a set of shots they’d be shunned from participating in civil society if they didn’t take.
— ⚔️GeekHero_Bubba🦸♂️ (@Bubba_GeekHero) July 30, 2025
Another quipped: “These fools wouldn’t know fascism if it made them lock themselves in their homes for over a year and cover their faces for every public encounter while ostracizing any doubt in a set of shots they’d be shunned from participating in civil society if they didn’t take.”
The timing coincides with The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ box office struggles. Opening to $118 million domestically, the film saw a mid-week drop, attributed to mixed reviews and Marvel fatigue and is currently losing to the first week of DC’s Superman.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Some speculate this controversy could alienate audiences further, similar to past Disney/MCU political dust-ups.
Critics argue interpreting the comment as a direct threat to Trump is a stretch—it’s unspecific and cartoonish, akin to comic-book justice. Yet, given the actors’ histories and the common application of “fascist” to Trump by Democrats and left-leaning commentators, it fuels debates on celebrity influence in polarized times.
In US discourse, the operational definition of the term “fascist” is: anyone who does not pledge ultimate support for the Democratic Party.
The term has no meaning beyond that.
These are the same people advocating classic fascism: uniting state and corporate power to censor. pic.twitter.com/rjy22260BT
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 30, 2023
As one commentator noted, “Fascist” has become a catch-all term, but its casual use in promotions risks deepening divides.
In a truth-seeking lens, the exchange appears as offhand banter without named targets. However, Pascal’s pattern of equating Trumpism with fascism makes the high-five noteworthy, prompting questions about intent. Neither actor has responded to the uproar as of July 30, 2025, leaving interpretations open.
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
But when it comes to Hollywood’s ongoing tension with Trump-era politics, fantasy and reality continue to blur.
Do you think Pedro Pascal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were high-fiving over the idea of throwing Trump into space? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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Ever wondered why it is always The Left who say fascist things. It is because the Left ARE the fascists. Fascism was always left wing, including the National Socialists of Germany.
–““The irony,” one user said. “Killing people that disagree with you is a pretty fascist idea.””
This is not irony at all. The Left ARE the fascists. (This is logical. Left wing wants big govt, and big govt leads to totalitarianism).