Scottish actor David Tennant told fans at London’s MCM Comic Con that he “had [his] eye on Reed Richards” before Marvel cast Pedro Pascal as the elastic-limbed leader of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. “They’ve gone in a different direction, and I’m very happy for it to be Pedro,” he added, quipping that he already “got the best super-villain” by playing Kilgrave in Jessica Jones.
Tennant’s comments echoed a larger conversation about the hotly anticipated reboot, which wrapped principal photography at Pinewood Studios in November and is scheduled to hit cinemas on 25 July 2025. The retro-futuristic adventure, set in an alternate 1960s, teams Pascal with Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach under director Matt Shakman.
Online chatter about alternative casting resurfaced after the Comic Con panel, with outlets noting that Tennant had first floated the idea of playing Mr Fantastic back in 2013. Industry bloggers also revived earlier short-lists that reportedly included Matt Smith and Adam Driver before Marvel settled on Pascal last year.
Marvel has not commented on the renewed speculation, but production insiders say the studio is unlikely to deviate from its current plan. Pascal has already begun rehearsals for Avengers: Doomsday, where the First Family will appear alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in 2026.
Casting director Sarah Finn, speaking at a separate Guild of British Film and Television Q&A last week, praised Pascal’s “grounded charisma” and noted that age parity among the four leads was a creative priority—an apparent nod to fan concerns that the 53-year-old Tennant or 41-year-old Pascal might skew too old for the role. “Reed is defined by intellect rather than youth,” Finn said, adding that Marvel sought “actors who can sell both scientific curiosity and family banter.” (The session was streamed publicly but not officially recorded.)
For Tennant, the episode seems less a bid for a late-stage switch than a polite tip of the hat. He closed his Comic Con appearance by teasing an unnamed genre project in negotiation, joking that “maybe in six months” there would be “a wee announcement”—one that, for now, keeps Mr Fantastic safely in Pascal’s elongated grasp.
