Paul Mescal Finally Reveals Whether There Was Any Truth to the ‘Fantastic Four’ Casting Rumors

If there is one project that Feige and Marvel want to get right soon it’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is going to be the third attempt to make the popular superhero group into a mainstream thing. The original movies weren’t half bad but they never became a mainstream classic, while the later reboot attempt failed miserably.

Now, Feige and Marvel are bringing out the big guns and are hoping that – with a stellar cast and a connection to future MCU projects – the movie will live up to its expectations and that the Fantastic Four will finally become a mainstream franchise.

At this moment, we know a fair amount of information about the upcoming film, but you’ll probably remember how many rumors circulated around the Internet before some official confirmations, especially when the cast is concerned.

If you remember, Paul Mescal was once heavily linked to the role of the Human Torch, and the Gladiator II actor finally settled the score on that issue.

Paul Mescal is a young Irish actor who, after the success of Aftersun, became one of the most sought-after young actors in Hollywood.

Since then, he has made notable appearances in All of Us Strangers and Gladiator II, but at one point, he was also linked with the role of Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps movie.

The role ultimately went to Mescal’s Gladiator II co-star Joseph Quinn, but in a recent talk with Josh Horowitz, Mescal revealed whether there was any truth to these rumors. Here is what he said:

The important part of the interview starts at about 32:30, but we linked the whole interview because it is very interesting and we think it is worth your time in that aspect. But, in case you don’t have the time to go through the video, here is a transcript of the most important parts:

JH: Um… if the Internet is to be believed, and when can we not believe the Internet, let’s be real, it’s always true, uh… Did you have conversations… did it [unintelligible] you at any point… Your buddy Pedro play- is playing Mr. Fantastic. Did you have that conversation with Marvel? It sounds like you were in that conversation…

PM: No, no, no… that was… that was. No. No, no, yeah…

JH: Okay.

PM: Yeah. [laughter]

JH: And where are you at with… with that kind of thing?

PM: I don’t think it’s… I don’t think it’s for… it’s not for me. Um, yeah… nothing, yeah… I… I think if.. I… I… I was- wasn’t brought up watching those films. I wasn’t drawn to them in the… like, I was kind of more like a… a Lord of the Rings guy in that sense, like I… So they… they… they weren’t films that I was… I was drawn to.

JH: So you want to be a hobbit, is what you’re telling me?

PM: Yeah, please, put me in the game, coach!

As you can see, Mescal has made it clear that he was never attached to any Marvel project, and from what it looks like now, he is not really interested in a comic book role at this point, which is definitely interesting to hear.

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