It’s clear that this is Pedro Pascal ’s world, and we’re just living in it. Between The Mandalorian , The Last of Us , his epic SNL appearances , and his myriad of film and television roles, it was only a matter of tim e before the Marvel Cinematic Universe came calling. The prolific and popular actor currently stars in the MCU’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Reed Richards (a.k.a Mr. Fantastic), the world’s most scientifically intelligent man, who also now possesses the ability to stretch any part of his body to great lengths. Completing the marvellous Marvel quartet this time around are actors Vanessa Kirby (as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (as Johnny Storm/Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (as Ben Grimm/The Thing) . This is not the first cinematic iteration of these four characters, thrust into the superhero spotlight after an unfortunate encounter with cosmic rays in outer space. Still, there’s a prevailing wisdom among both critics and fans that, with this film and this cast, the powers that be have finally got it right.
That Shelf had the pleasure of sitting in on the recent Fantastic Four: First Steps press conference to hear more about what went into making the film. From costumes, to music, to epic villainy, there was so much to talk about and even more to ask! Here are just five things we learned from Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, Quinn, Julia Garner (who portrays the Silver Surfer), Ralph Ineson (here as planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus) , director Matt Shakman, and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. Dig in now:
- This cast has chemistry to spare . Given that the film revolves around found family and superpowered friendship, finding four actors who gel together was crucial. Casting Director Sarah Finn nailed it with Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, and Quinn, and it was immediately apparent to the cast themselves. “You can know in the first 10 seconds if you’re compatible with somebody,” Moss-Bachrach shared, “and we just really hit it off from the very beginning, making a movie of this scale.” Making a movie of this scale is never easy, and Pascal agreed that because it can be so tricky, there is almost a type of trauma bonding that can happen. The actors worked hard to emulate the camaraderie and complex relationships developed over 60 years in the comics themselves. Moss-Bachrach credits both their interpersonal chemistry and the film’s “beautiful script” for that. It’s apparent, even during the press tour for the film, that these actors genuinely enjoy each other’s company and are quick to laud their fellow teammates’ talents when given the chance.
- There’s a very good reason First Steps is set in an alternate universe. If you’re behind in your multiverse lore, you may not be aware that the films have begun to label the different Earths we’ve encountered across the MCU. The Earth of The Avengers and most of the movies so far is Earth-616, while this latest cinematic adventure takes place on Earth-828. But why? According to director Shakman, the reason is simple. “We would’ve heard about them by now”. The Fantastic Four are well-known celebrities due to their world-saving exploits, so the fact that they haven’t even been featured on news reports in any of the previously filmed stories would be hard to explain away. Placing them on an alternate Earth also allowed the creative team to build the visually stunning, 1960s retro-future world that Shakman shared “was a combination of Jack Kirby and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 ”.
- Galactus–from the costume to actor Ralph Ineson’s vocals–took months of development . Fans have been chomping at the bit to get a taste of Marvel’s most powerful villain, and thanks to a number of different teams behind the scenes, the resulting creation at the heart of First Steps was well worth the wait. But where do you start with a 14-billion-year-old cosmic vampire? “It’s not the kind of character prep I’ve had to do before,” joked Ineson. On an ordinary day, the actor’s distinctive bass is enough to send shivers down co-star Pascal’s body with no extra effort. “I swear to God, it’s like, resonant,” Pedro laughed. “It taps into a vibrational tone that literally gets to my interior core.” For his turn as Galactus though, Ineson decided to lower his voice even further. Director Shakman estimates it could be as much as an octave lower, and that when he first heard it in the recording booth, “[he] just about lost [his] mind”. When you’ve got such impressive vocals, you’ve got to have visuals to match. Ineson calls the resulting wearable costume, which weighs approximately 350 pounds, “an incredible piece of art and engineering.” Feige jumped in to add that the costume design teams used the villain’s appearance in Fortnite as just one of their inspirations.
- Michael Giacchino’s First Steps score is something truly special. For those in the know, it should come as no surprise that the talented, award-winning composer has developed something perfectly complementary to the world of Earth-828. His previous MCU scores have been excellent (shout-out to his perfect Doctor Strange theme), and the assembled team at the Fantastic Four press conference are united in their opinion that Giacchino has done it again here. Feige believes him to be the “best composer working today”, and Shakman agrees wholeheartedly, calling him “a genius” and raving about his musical and emotional range. The director then shared that the composer sent him the film’s working theme before they even began shooting and it blew the cast and crew away. Pascal called it “a lightbulb moment”, as the core four had been struggling to really get a sense of this retro-future world their characters inhabit. But after hearing the theme, it clicked for them all. Giacchino shared with Shakman that his inspirations for the score came from the film The Right Stuff and the iconic Disney Electrical Parade. Perhaps an odd pairing at first glance, but given the setting and feel of First Steps , maybe exactly the right combination.
- What’s next for the Fantastic Four? Fans will be happy to know that the new Marvel quartet have already filmed a large portion of their appearance in Avengers: Doomsday , set to hit theatres on December 18, 2026. So if you loved this latest iteration of Jack Kirby’s otherworldly heroes, you won’t have to wait long for more!
