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...