Summary

Pedro Pascal drops out of horror film Weapons due to potential role as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four, causing scheduling conflicts. Weapons, a highly anticipated horror film, had a bidding war for distribution rights, with New Line Cinema winning. Pedro Pascal is currently involved in other projects such as The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and upcoming films Freaky Tales, Drive-Away Dolls, and The Uninvited.

Hollywood darling Pedro Pascal has reportedly dropped out of the new horror film Weapons from Barbarian director Zach Cregger, and it’s reportedly thanks to his (currently unconfirmed) role as Reed Richards in the new Fantastic Four movie. According to The InSneider, the new superhero film was set to begin filming in April, but has since switched its production to Q3 of 2024, causing an overlap between the two projects, forcing Pascal to choose just one. With Pascal’s stock soaring at the moment, the star has been in high demand with a seemingly endless amount of projects being thrown his way, causing him to pick and choose those he appears in.

Described as “a multi and inter-related story horror epic that tonally is in the vein of Magnolia, the 1999 actor-crammed showcase from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson,” Weapons deals with the disappearance of high school students in a rural town. The project was in a highly contested bidding war between Universal, Netflix, New Line Cinema, and Sony/TriStar, with New Line coming out on top in a deal that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, included eight-figures, final cut privileges for Zach Cregger, and the guarantee of a theatrical release. Pedro Pascal was announced back in May 2023 to star in the new horror film, which was supposed to begin filming in the fall of 2023, but production was pushed back thanks to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes.

First announced in 2019, the new Fantastic Four film from director Matt Shakman is part of Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic universe, and there has been no shortage of casting rumors since then. Everyone from Adam Driver to John Krasinski have been talked about to play Reed Richards, with insiders predicting that Pedro Pascal is poised to take on the role. Though he has yet to be officially confirmed, the 48-year-old Pascal seems ripe for the part thanks to his exit from Weapons in conjunction with Fantastic Four changing its production schedule.

Related: Star Wars Fans Sadly React to Pedro Pascal’s Reported Fantastic Four Casting

What’s Next for Pedro Pascal?
The Last Of Us Release Date January 15, 2023 Seasons 2

Before Pedro Pascal officially joins the MCU, the actor will be reprising his role of Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us, whose second season begins production in February. Joining Pascal will be Bella Ramsey, reprising her role of Ellie, and series newcomers Young Mazino as Jesse, and the recently announced Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. While story details are still under wraps, the series is expected to mirror the second video game in the franchise, as it did with its first season.

In addition to his role in The Last of Us, Pascal is also featured in The Mandalorian as Din Djarin, and while a fourth season of the series has yet to begin filming, it was recently revealed that The Mandolorian and Grogu will be getting their own film directed by Jon Favreau. With production expected to get underway for the new Star Wars film this year, Favreau, who has been a staple in the Star Wars universe since The Mandalorian’s debut, has this to say about the new film:

“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created. The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”

Aside from The Last of Us, and The Mandalorian, Pedro Pascal can also be seen in Freaky Tales, Drive-Away Dolls, and The Uninvited, all of which are in post-production, and slated for release in 2024.