A new report claims that Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four film has seen its production start delayed. On top of the production start being delayed, actor Pedro Pascal, who is rumored to play Mr. Fantastic recently dropped out of the Zach Cregger-directed Weapons film.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: (L-R) The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger, Showrunner/Executive Producer Jon Favreau, Pedro Pascal and Alan Bergman, Chairman of Disney Studios Content attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Jeff Sneider reported, “Pedro Pascal exits Zach Cregger’s Weapons due to scheduling conflicts as filming on Fantastic Four is pushed to Q3.”
EXCLUSIVE: PEDRO PASCAL exits @ZCregger‘s WEAPONS due to scheduling conflicts as filming on FANTASTIC FOUR is pushed to Q3. So what will Pedro shoot this Spring after wrapping The Last of Us? It SOUNDS like Ari Aster awaits…https://t.co/hCjmvWowT8
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) January 11, 2024
In a follow-up he added, “Meanwhile, if Fantastic Four won’t start shooting until Q3 of this year… an early May 2025 release date sure does sound ambitious. We’ll see if that sticks. Unlikely, would be my guess.”
Meanwhile, if Fantastic Four won’t start shooting until Q3 of this year… an early May 2025 release date sure does sound ambitious. We’ll see if that sticks. Unlikely, would be my guess. https://t.co/wy1MLlOx49
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) January 11, 2024
It was rumored back in November that Pascal would play Reed Richards because Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige believed the rest of the cast was “way too white.”
Sneider made that claim on his website when he detailed that Marvel Studios saw a problem with bringing in Jake Gyllenhaal as well as Adam Driver. He wrote, “I’m told [Kevin Feige] feared that the cast was ‘way too white,’ in the words of one insider. Reed Richards would be the character eyed to diversify the cast.”
The scooper also detailed at the time that Marvel had tapped Vanessa Kirby to play Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn to play Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.
Fantastic Four Visionaries: Walter Simonson Vol. 1 TPB (2007), Marvel Comics
It’s unclear if Pascal has signed on for Fantastic Four, Deadline’s Justin Kroll noted he was in talks to play the character, but “a deal is far from done.”
Kroll added, “Insiders add that scheduling is still being worked out, but multiple sources close to the negotiations are saying it’s headed in the right direction for Pascal to do this and his other future projects.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Pedro Pascal and a Disney Parks character attend the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Back in November, Pascal was expected to film Gladiator 2, HBO’s The Last of Us series as well as Cregger’s Weapons. It’s also likely he will have to do voice overs for the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu film that was recently announced by Lucasfilm that is expected to go into production some time later this year.
It’s unclear where in Pascal’s schedule he might fit Fantastic Four if he does indeed sign on to the project.
Licensed, Walt Disney Studios
Many of the rumors coming out of the Fantastic Four film make the film out to be a complete and utter disaster. Not only does Sneider’s rumor claim that Marvel thinks Pascal would be a good Reed Richards for their diversity points, but there are rumors that the Silver Surfer will be gender-swapped.
Sneider detailed on an episode of The Hot Mic, “The idea is that one of his four heralds — someone had said — is going to be female. I have heard that the Silver Surfer is going to be female.”
He reiterated this information as part of his newsletter where he wrote, “And yes, you can expect to see a female Silver Surfer.”
What do you make of this latest rumor concerning Pedro Pascal and Marvel’s Fantastic Four film?
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