Given what's felt like diminishing returns for many of the MCU's recent film entries, it feels like there's a lot riding on "Fantastic Four: First Steps." Thankfully, the reaction to one of the lead actors seems to indicate that fans are very hopeful.
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00:00Given what's felt like diminishing returns for many of the MCU's recent film entries,
00:04it feels like there's a lot riding on Fantastic Four first steps. Thankfully, the reaction
00:09to one of the lead actors seems to indicate that fans are very hopeful. A lot of eyes
00:12were on the casting process for First Steps from the very beginning. Early rumors of Matt
00:16Smith and Adam Driver taking on the role of Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards, were met with
00:20some skepticism, but Pedro Pascal eventually won the role. A fan event for the launch of
00:25the movie's teaser trailer appears to have proven he was the right choice.
00:28You look like you're ready to go to space."
00:30The movie has a very space-age, mid-century feel, so Marvel chose to host an event to hype
00:35fans up and unveil the teaser at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama,
00:39on February 4, 2025. The title four were all there. Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, who plays Sue Storm,
00:45the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn, who plays Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and Evan Moss
00:50Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm, the Thing, all got a warm reception. But there was a clear favorite,
00:55Pascal. He spent the most time greeting all the screaming fans in attendance before
00:59joining host Angelique Roche.
01:01I just want them to love it."
01:05Interestingly, Pascal appeared to be wearing pajamas, while everyone else was dressed more
01:09formally. It's a kind of cavalier attitude that's earned him legions of fans, and it didn't stop
01:14there. Roche first asked the entire cast a question, and when she asked Pascal a second
01:18one, he jokingly responded,
01:20I thought I already answered a question.
01:22I don't, I, sorry.
01:24Pascal having a ball during the pre-show is almost as entertaining as watching the trailer for the
01:28movie itself. Speaking of the trailer, lots of fans have noticed something that seems to be
01:32missing from it. The Thing, the Human Torch, and the Invisible Woman all show off their powers at
01:37some point, but Mr. Fantastic never gets to do any of the stretchy stuff he's known for. We do see
01:41him work on some equations on a chalkboard, which could be a sign that the film will focus more on
01:45Reed's intellect rather than his elastic abilities. Arguably, being the smartest man on
01:50Earth is Mr. Fantastic's true superpower anyway. Pascal's inherent likeability could very much
01:55work in Reed and the movie's favor, being significantly smarter than everyone else
01:59could alienate some viewers. And the read of the comics had some decidedly rough edges,
02:03sometimes ignoring his family in favor of his work, and occasionally making some less-than-heroic
02:07decisions. Pascal already has a lot of fans who want to root for him, given his roles in projects
02:11like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. Maybe the idea was that the movie version of Reed can
02:16possibly get away with a little more if the audience already loves the actor who plays him.
02:20And they really do.
02:22May I present to you, The Fantastic Four!
02:26We'll see more of Pascal and the rest of the team soon enough,
02:29when The Fantastic Four First Steps comes out in theaters on July 25th.