Pedro Pascal Sets the Record Straight: Will Reed Lead the Avengers in ‘Doomsday’?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a pretty tangled spot right now. There are multiple realities, and more than one Avengers team active. One team is led by Sam Wilson as Captain America, and another is headed by Bucky Barnes after the release of Thunderbolts*.

On top of that, the Fantastic Four have just officially entered the MCU, with Reed Richards, played by Pedro Pascal, taking the lead in that group. Even though Reed is shown as a flawed character in the recent Fantastic Four movie, he clearly proves to be a capable leader for his team.

Things are about to get even more complex with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie. The film is expected to bring together several realities, and fans are also excited to see the original Fox X-Men making their debut in the MCU. With so many moving parts, there’s been a lot of speculation about who will lead the Avengers moving forward.

Pedro Pascal, who plays Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic, recently addressed a big question: will his character be the new leader of the Avengers? The actor made it clear that, at least for now, Reed Richards is not taking on that role.

This conversation started after an interview with Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman went viral. In that interview earlier this month, Shakman hinted that Pascal’s Reed Richards might step up to lead the Avengers. Given that Pascal and his Fantastic Four co-stars Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are all returning for Avengers: Doomsday next year, fans quickly believed it was a solid possibility.

Shakman explained that casting Reed Richards was especially tough because the character goes through many changes. “He goes from being the nerdy scientist who’s locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who’d do anything to protect his family, to the guy who’s leading the Avengers,” Shakman said. He added, “I realized that the version we were building had to have all of those elements.”

However, Pascal pushed back on this idea during a recent talk with the Associated Press. The actor, known for his roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, downplayed the notion that Reed Richards will lead the Avengers in the MCU.

“It’s big news to me, that’s for one,” Pascal said. “I think Matt Shakman was doing an interview and when he was speaking about Reed… there is something that happens in the comics where he is sort of drawn in by the Avengers family and asked to be put into a leadership position. That is something that happens in the comics. It isn’t necessarily something that my character’s future entails.”

Pascal was clear about his statement and emphasized, “I am being honest in that. I am not even trying to avoid spoilers. It’s a little bit of a mislead.”

Could Pedro Pascal lead the MCU's new Avengers? The "Fantastic Four" star responds. pic.twitter.com/mH4UqAlmRA

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) July 24, 2025

So for now, Reed Richards may be a strong leader within the Fantastic Four, but he’s not stepping up as the main leader of the Avengers team. With the MCU’s complex storyline and multiple heroes and realities in play, the leadership question might still be open to surprise developments in Doomsday and beyond.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently playing in theaters worldwide.

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