Marvel's The Fantastic Four Almost Has THIS Doctor Who Actor Playing Reed Richards Instead of Pedro Pascal
David Tennant reveals he had his eye on the role of Reed Richards in Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps before it went to Pedro Pascal.

David Tennant, best known for his role in Doctor Who, recently shared that he had his eye set on playing Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, in Marvel Studios’ upcoming movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Speaking at MCM Comic Con, as per Comic Book Movie, Tennant was asked which superhero role he would want to play.
He answered honestly, saying, “In terms of superheroes, I did slightly have my eye on Reed Richards and unfortunately, it looks like they’ve gone in a different direction.”
While the part ultimately went to The Last of Us and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal, Tennant made it clear there were no hard feelings. “Although if it has to be someone, I’m very happy for it to be Pedro Pascal,” he added.
Pedro Pascal will lead The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Reed Richards. The Marvel Studios film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025, and is expected to launch a new chapter in the MCU. The casting of Pascal as Mister Fantastic was confirmed earlier this year and drew attention from fans across the globe.
The film also stars Vanessa Kirby as Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing). Julia Garner joins as the Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson will play Galactus.
Although Tennant missed the chance to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a leading role, he is no stranger to comic book adaptations. He previously played the villain Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, a Marvel series that aired on Netflix.
Following The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel fans will face a long gap before the next MCU movie. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the next title on the calendar, releasing on July 31, 2026. This marks the longest break between MCU films since the period between Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019 and Black Widow in 2021.
The delay is largely due to the shift in release dates for the next Avengers films. Avengers: Doomsday was pushed from May 1, 2026, to December 18, 2026, and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, has been moved from May 7, 2027 to December 17, 2027.