After years of anticipation, Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot is finally taking shape, much to fans’ delight. Matt Shakman’s upcoming superhero movie is currently in pre-production and, as of late, the ensemble cast has been filling out. Of course, many were most curious to learn who’d be playing the eponymous quartet of heroes, and those actors were revealed a few months ago. One of them is none other than Pedro Pascal, who’ll be the latest star to play Dr. Reed Richards a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. Interestingly though, another actor – who was previously fan cast for the part has confirmed that they auditioned. And, quite frankly, I have mixed feelings about him losing the part to Pascal.
Who Is The Actor Who Apparently Didn’t Land The Role Of Mr. Fantastic?
There were numerous actors that fans pitched for the role of Reed Richards, before the Fantastic Four cast was revealed on Valentine’s Day. Chief among them, though, was Rahul Kohli, who’s starred in his fair share of notable productions. During the past several years, admirers campaigned for him to receive the role of the elastic superhero, with some even creating fan art of him in the role. Kohli previously acknowledged the buzz but never confirmed whether or not he’d actually auditioned for it. During an interview with the Salaam Nerds Podcast, which was shared to X, the star – while being careful with his words – seemed to finally confirm it:
I do see the fan-casting. There come good days, they’re wonderful when you’re mental health is good, and you see people fan cast you, and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, you should be whoever!’ Until Pedro Pascal was announced… I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it… I nearly said something I shouldn’t have. … I didn’t get it is the point.
The Haunting of Bly Manor star previously responded to the FF fan casts with a cheeky post (from his since-deleted X account) that seemingly poked at the feud between Marvel and DC fans. Based on the comments he shared during this latest interview, it seems like he would’ve indeed been excited to have landed the role. However, he did provide some more cerebral thoughts on not getting a high profile role like that one after being fancast:
But, on good days, I see the Constantine [fancast] sort of flair up again. … And I love all of them. And, on good days, you’re like, ‘Man, you’re wanted!’ People really want to see… How cool’s that that you’re the guy that people will shout out for anything? And, on bad days, it’s a reminder that you’re just not the guy, and you’re not there. And these are the roles that you’ll never get. Again, it’s all perspective. It’s how you feel about yourself.
One can’t help but appreciate his balanced take on the matter, and you’d honestly expect nothing less from such a thoughtful actor. It’s cool that we now have the information, though it certainly gives me pause when thinking about The Fantastic Four.
Why I Have Mixed Feelings About The Actor Losing This MCU Role?
On the one hand, I’m very glad that Pedro Pascal has been cast as the patriarch of Marvel’s First Family in the highly anticipated superhero flick. He’s an incredibly talented actor, who could bring some solid layers to the role. I also deeply disagree that his casting represents a “downgrade” from his predecessors.
5 Lessons This New Fantastic Four Movie Can Learn From The Old Ones
However, I also can’t deny just how great Rahul Kohli would’ve been in the role. He gives off Reed vibes from a physical standpoint, given his lanky stature. And, as evidenced by some of his past roles, he can also exude a reserved demeanor, which is absolutely appropriate for the highly intelligent Dr. Richards. On paper, this is a casting that just seems very right but, based on the fact that Kholi didn’t get the job, we can only assume that the Last of Us actor possessed an element that just really spoke to Matt Shakman and the folks at Marvel Studios.
What I will say, though, is that Rahul Kohli is well loved by fans and much appreciated just like Pedro Pascal is. Also, one would hope that Kohli might one day be cast in a Marvel Cinematic Universe-set production. The franchise would be lucky to have him – whether or not he plays someone in the FF’s orbit or not.
The Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025 and is only one of several upcoming Marvel movies that’s on the docket.