Pedro Pascal Claims Reed Richards Will Not be Leader of The Avengers in Doomsday, Contrary to Fantastic Four Director’s Comments

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Pedro Pascal has made it clear he’s not taking charge of the Avengers in “Avengers: Doomsday,” putting an end to rumors stirred up by comments from director Matt Shakman about his role as the team’s leader in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

In an interview with Variety, Shakman commended Pascal’s portrayal of Reed Richards, labeling him as “the brainy scientist… the husband and father… the one guiding the Avengers.” This remark sparked a flurry of fan theories, leading many to speculate that Reed Richards might assume the role of leader for Earth’s strongest superheroes in the upcoming Avengers movie.

Not so fast.

A Different Kind of Fantastic Four

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Pascal pushed back on the assumptions.

Pascal clarified that while Matt spoke about a version of Reed Richards who leads an Avengers mission in the comics, this is distinct from our current project. He believes Matt’s comments about Reed in the comics may have been misunderstood or misconstrued.

The Fantastic Four: Initial Strides” presents a variant of Marvel’s Original Team, functioning in a universe devoid of the Avengers. Pascal joins forces with Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm). Facing cosmic perils without assistance, they grapple with Galactus’ (Ralph Ineson) impending presence, while the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), his emissary, lands on Earth.

Despite not being the Avengers’ leader, the character Reed (played by Pedro Pascal) will play a significant role in Avengers: Doomsday. The upcoming crossover event brings together the recently introduced Fantastic Four with the larger Marvel universe, shifting its focus towards a new primary antagonist.

Enter Doctor Doom, for Better or Worse

The apocalyptic event is anticipated to bring back Robert Downey Jr. to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this time portraying Victor Von Doom instead of Iron Man. This decision is daring, and as per Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, it’s a plan that has been underway for quite a while.

In a recent conversation with journalists, Feige expressed that it became clear Kang wasn’t comparable to Thanos. He explained that there was only one character who could fill this role effectively due to his long-standing importance in the comics over many years.

After an initial focus on Kang the Conqueror as the main antagonist, Marvel Studios changed course due to legal issues with actor Jonathan Majors. Instead, they stealthily moved away from the Kang narrative, and discussions about introducing Doom into the storyline reportedly started before the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

In truth, my conversation with Robert regarding that daring concept took place prior to the release of ‘Ant-Man 3’, as stated by Feige.

The flip suggests a major change of direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as Doom is now anticipated to become the main focus in its upcoming phase. It’s unclear if Reed Richards and Doom will engage in a battle across different realities, but it’s evident that the foundations are being built.

In the ever-growing multiverse, as the Fantastic Four become part of the picture and Doom casts a dark shadow, it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is set to be a significant turning point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And much like in First Steps, it appears that Reed Richards won’t have control this time around.

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2025-07-29 14:56