Robert Downey Jr. has nothing but praise for his new Avengers: Doomsday co-star Pedro Pascal, calling the actor’s steady rise to fame “a hot streak that reaffirms my faith in our industry.”
Downey, who returns in a major role for the next Avengers chapter, revealed that Pascal has been a regular presence at “homework days” — informal script meetups with castmates preparing for high-stakes Marvel scenes. Downey personally invited Pascal into the fold, helping ease the Fantastic Four actor’s transition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“He’s just so immediately generous and inviting,” Pascal said of Downey. “You feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent.”
Pascal joins the MCU as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), starring opposite Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm in Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. The two play a married superhero couple expecting a baby — and sharing a deep emotional bond that Kirby says reflects real life.
“His allure is his immense vulnerability,” Kirby shared. “He doesn’t have much armor. He shows himself to you right away — and you trust him for it.”
🎥 From Fan Frenzy to False Controversy
Pascal’s openness recently sparked controversy online, when a Comic-Con clip showing him taking Kirby’s hand went viral. Some critics misread the gesture as presumptuous, but Kirby quickly shut that narrative down.
“We were both incredibly nervous before walking out in front of thousands of fans,” she explained. “He wanted me to know we were in it together. I was glad to squeeze his hand back.”
💬 “You Never Know if People Will Be Disgusted by Your Heart”
Pascal hasn’t yet seen the final cut of Fantastic Four, but says the experience felt meaningful.
“It seems to reflect what we all wanted to share — all of our f**ing hearts on a platter within this genre,”* he said. “You just never know if people are going to be disgusted by your heart or not.”
Despite his breakout status, Pascal admits that joining the Marvel universe came with backlash.
“I’m more aware of the criticism around this casting than anything else I’ve done,” he said. “‘He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave.’”
Still, the actor remains grounded, even trying to squeeze in dessert after the interview — until realizing he’s due at Downey’s house in 45 minutes for another Avengers script session.
“Let’s go back to talking about death and suicide again — and not the Avengers!” Pascal joked, dodging questions about whether he’s officially part of the superhero team.
