Robert Downey Jr. and Pedro Pascal are poised to clash in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday as Pascal is set to reprise his role as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, and Downey Jr. curiously returns in the role of the comics’ iconic villain, Dr. Doom. Being the star of the launching pad for the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. has always been seen as The General in overseeing the massive ensemble cast of the Avengers movies, and he still takes his position with pride as he invites the new cast to his home for what’s called “Homework Days,” where the cast presumably workshop scenes for the movie.
According to Variety, Downey has become impressed with Pascal while working with him and he tells Vanity Fair,
Pascal’s slow trajectory to becoming a household name who is on a wildly hot streak kind of reaffirms my faith in our industry.”
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Pascal would return the compliments of his co-star, saying, “He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent.” He cited Downey’s advice and pep talk when he heard “disgruntlement around my casting” as Mr. Fantastic, as fans said, “He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave.” After turning to Downey, Pascal remained committed to his new place at the MCU. Vanessa Kirby, who plays Sue Storm in the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps, said of Pascal, “He doesn’t have much armor, so he shows himself to you straight away, and you trust that person because he’s revealing himself to you in this very brave way.”
The official synopsis for The Fantastic Four: First Steps: “Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.” The film will hit theaters on July 25.
After The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Reed (Pedro Pascal), Sue (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) will return for Avengers: Doomsday, which recently had its release date pushed back. Doomsday was initially set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, but has now been moved to December 18, 2026. As for Avengers: Secret Wars, that film has moved from May 7, 2027 to December 17, 2027.
