the Fantastic Four's cinematic reputation leaves something to be desired.
I have every faith that the character is in good hands with Pedro Pascal. Since his breakout role as Oberyn in the mostly acclaimed Game of Thrones, Pascal has charmed audiences worldwide for his subsequent starring roles in such productions as The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. He is certainly a valuable asset to the MCU, but his involvement might have been prevented had Marvel opted to cast him in Daredevil in a secretive role that I'm pretty confident I know.
Pedro Pascal Auditioned For A Daredevil ing Character
Pascal Revealed He Auditioned For A Role In 2014
Pedro Pascal recently revealed in an interview for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, in which he reflected on his career, that he auditioned for Daredevil around the time that Game of Thrones season 4 was airing in 2014. When asked whether he auditioned for the role of Matt Murdock, Pascal clarified that it was actually a different lawyer, whom he downplayed to be "character number six." His full quote and the interview can be seen below, with Pascal's comments coming at around the 54:20 mark.
"Pedro Pascal: I was auditioning for Daredevil for Marvel.
Jenelle Riley: For Matt Murdock? Or Happy?
Pedro Pascal: No, it was like a sixth...it was like a ing character. You know, "Character number six." He was a lawyer. I can't the name...so I was going to test for that role."
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It makes sense that Pedro Pascal would have been going for a ing role at this time, despite being the A-lister he is now. Game of Thrones season 4 was a game-changer for Pascal, as his celebrated role as Oberyn in the franchise opened the door to being in such high demand now. Until then, he had only played minor roles in single episodes of such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Body of Truth. Still, I don't think the role he was going for in Daredevil was as minor as he makes out.
I'm Convinced Pedro Pascal Almost Played Kingpin's Right-Hand Man
Pedro Pascal Might Have Been Describing James Wesley
Daredevil season 1 only began airing in 2015, which means Pascal would have been auditioning for this opening season specifically. In the absence of any prominent lawyers in the show (outside of Matt and Foggy, of course) befitting of Pedro Pascal, I think it was more likely that he was auditioning for James Wesley, Kingpin's confidant and right-hand man. While Wesley is no lawyer, his methodical approach and proficiency in quashing Kingpin's legal troubles certainly paint a similar picture.
The role of James Wesley was instead given to Toby Leonard Moore.
Besides, I can see Marvel Studios referring to Wesley as such in early drafts as a way of avoiding leaks. Deliberately downplaying Wesley's overall role would have helped to keep the reveal of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin under wraps. I also think Wesley is the perfect role for Pascal to have auditioned for, as he is relatively minor and therefore befitting of Pascal's standing in Hollywood at the time, but also important enough, much like Oberyn's role in Game of Thrones.
Why I'm Glad Pedro Pascal Didn't Play Wesley On Daredevil
We Would Have Missed Out On Pascal's Reed Richards
Also, much like Oberyn's role in Game of Thrones, Wesley doesn't last more than a single season. While I'm always happy to see Pascal take on a new role, especially within MCU productions, I would have been disheartened by the brevity of his tenure. Given Wesley is ultimately killed by Karen in a brilliant moment of self-defense in Daredevil season 1, episode 11, not only would Pascal have been written out of the show, but potentially the entire MCU.
Wesley is too pivotal a character in Daredevil for Marvel Studios to have recast Pascal in a future MCU production.
While it isn't beyond Marvel to cast the same actor in multiple roles in the MCU, the actors that do return typically have a more minor role under their belt, like Gemma Chan's Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel. Wesley is too pivotal a character in Daredevil for Marvel Studios to have recast Pascal in a future MCU production. Instead, we are now soon to be treated to Pedro Pascal embodying a far more iconic role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and I'm certainly more excited to witness this portrayal than his portrayal of a character like James Wesley.
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Daredevil
9/10- Release Date
- 2015 - 2018-00-00
- Showrunner
- Steven S. DeKnight
- Directors
- Phil Abraham, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYDaredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal's Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Director
- Matt Shakman
- Writers
- Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Stan Lee
- Producers
- Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Tim Lewis
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
Cast
Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / The Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm / Human Torch
Ebon Moss-BachrachBen Grimm / The Thing
The Fantastic Four: First Steps depicts Marvel's First Family navigating their roles as heroes amidst a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world. As they defend Earth from Galactus and the enigmatic Silver Surfer, they must also uphold the strength of their family bond.
MCU Movies
Source: the SAG-AFTRA Foundation/YouTube
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