- calendar_today August 9, 2025
The Cost of Truth: Pedro Pascal on Speaking Openly in Film
No word gets more press right now than “cancelled.” Performers, athletes, and celebrities know they need to tiptoe around controversies or risk becoming the next scandalized star.
Careful PR, buffered interviews, carefully staged social media updates — these have all become the norm. But the closest Pedro Pascal comes to tiptoeing through the media is running through a throng of cameras when his character turns in a major Marvel save.
Pedro Pascal Speaks Up
The Fantastic Four: First Steps star and Game of Thrones alum is a proud Latino dad on his way to becoming a big-league superstar. A 2023 Quartz report showed that the 50-year-old managed to jump from the sixth to the second-highest-grossing actor in five years. (Jennifer Lawrence sits at the top, ahead of Pascal by roughly $3 million.)
Fans are growing, reviews are positive, but even in the throes of success, Pascal isn’t afraid to pick up a microphone and speak out. In 2021, he told The New York Times in a profile, “He hopes that his fame can be used as a megaphone.”
He also supports multiple nonprofits, including Doctors Without Borders and The Trevor Project. He’s not above speaking about his stances or beliefs, either. While sitting down with Sky News in London during a recent press junket, Pascal spent four minutes and two seconds laying out his point of view.
“I think it’s very easy to get scared, no matter what you sort of talk about,” Pascal explained. “There are so many different ways that things can get kind of fractured and have a life of itself.”
He’s not wrong. Headlines and TikTok videos exist in a way that generations before us could only have dreamed of. A few viral edits, some out-of-context quotes, and a celeb is bound to trend for all the wrong reasons. While some celebrities have learned to skirt the line of controversy, others won’t stay quiet, and Pascal is one of them.
“You can sort of give a nod to it and you say, oh, right, now I’m trapped in this comment forevermore,” Pascal said to Sky News. “I’ve kind of thought about this a lot lately. But, yeah, there’s one thing that you can say, and no matter what your intention behind it, it is lost in all of these different headlines, I suppose. But I’ll never shut up.”
Pedro Pascal Has Found A Voice In His Fans
The “shut up” bit is the cherry on top. From a fan perspective, it’s refreshing to hear someone say something so brash in a world where every tweet and word choice is second-guessed. Pascal himself was no overnight success story. It took years for him to find the level of fame he’s at today. Not many people can be bothered to go toe-to-toe with the reality that comes with it. Pascal can.
While Pascal gives his views a lot of the time on interviews, there are also small but powerful ways he can get his point across without having to be so open. For instance, his viral “Protect the Dolls” shirt at a casual outing around April spoke volumes for a ban on drag shows in the UK. In March of this year, he used Instagram stories to point out the food blockade in Gaza, in particular how children were particularly being impacted.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps tells the story of Dr. Reed Richards (Pascal) journey to becoming a father with his wife, Sue Storm. As two of the greatest superheroes of all time, Richard and Sue have their work cut out for them with their first child on the way.
In his role as Dr. Reed Richards, Pascal is coming into his own in another way. Pascal must balance the world’s safety and his own domestic, private happiness. Similar to his current situation in the public eye, he is a superhero trying to do it all. So now, fans will support their favorite Marvel character, but also someone they admire as an equal.
Reed Richards Has More In Common With His Fans Than Some Fans Might Think
Fortunately for Pascal, Marvel gave The Fantastic Four: First Steps a budget of $115 million. With a premiere date in the spring of 2025, Pascal also has plenty of time to get the character’s backstory. The film will be set within the MCU, but with no overreaching connection to the other characters or events.
Fans won’t see characters like Doctor Strange or Spider-Man come to visit The Fantastic Four in this film. The cast of the film is made up of The Fantastic Four themselves: Vanessa Kirby, Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. WandaVision’s Matt Shakman is set to direct the film. In an interview with IGN, Pascal was very familiar with his character of Dr. Reed Richards.
“It’s very easy for Reed to make his intelligence feel aloof,” Pascal noted. “If his emotionality is on display, that kind of centers it for me and grounds him.”
Pedro Pascal’s Sense Of Self Matches That Of The Movie
Pascal will portray Reed Richards, one of the selfless characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He and his peers have to save the world with little to no help. In the MCU, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has connections to the films and shows that came before it, but is currently very self-sufficient.
Fans who may not have been aware of Reed Richards’ character before have a chance to become familiar with him now. Pascal, and his self-awareness, know it’s on him to get the role right. Pascal’s track record has shown how effective he can be in big and small roles.
Marvel, Pascal’s fans, and other directors have all been lining up to work with Pascal. Just like Reed Richards, Pascal is now dealing with fame and continuing to do work he loves while remaining humble. Pascal will be saving the world, albeit one world crisis at a time.
