‘Lucifer’ Star Almost Moved from DC to Marvel as a ‘Fantastic’ Hero

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If the multiverse had gone a little differently, Tom Ellis would have been the star of The Fantastic Four: First Steps instead of Pedro Pascal.

After Marvel Studios revealed the Fantastic Four would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans spent years speculating about who would play the team. Many actors were rumored for the role of Mister Fantastic, including Adam Driver, Dev Patel, and Matt Smith, but it turns out Tom Ellis, known for his role in Lucifer, also tried out for the part. The official cast was finally revealed on Valentine’s Day 2024.

In a recent interview with Square Mile, Ellis shared that he auditioned for the role that eventually went to Pascal. He playfully noted Pascal doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but praised his performance, saying, “He’s great, I’m really looking forward to seeing it, and the trailer looks fun.” Ellis also explained he felt his appearance closely matched the comic book version of Mister Fantastic, which is why he was eager to try out for the part.

I was invited to audition for the role of Reed Richards. I’d been holding out for the perfect opportunity, both in terms of timing and the right character. When I saw a picture of Richards from the comics, I immediately thought, ‘This might be it!’ We have a striking resemblance.

Pedro Pascal Ultimately Won the Role of Mister Fantastic


Disney

The TV show Lucifer was inspired by a comic book of the same name, which originally began as a spin-off from The Sandman comics. Writer Neil Gaiman, who also created the comics, appeared in the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earth event. Lucifer ran for six seasons, with the first three on Fox and the final three on Netflix, concluding on September 10, 2021. If Gaiman had been cast in a leading role, he would have joined actors like Ryan Reynolds, Christian Bale, and Michael Keaton, all of whom have worked on projects for both DC and Marvel.

By 2025, Pedro Pascal had a busy year with four movie releases – Freaky Tales, Materialist, Eddington, and First Steps – plus the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. He’s also confirmed to reprise his role as Mister Fantastic in the 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday, alongside another Disney project, The Mandalorian & Grogu. Pascal has quickly become a highly visible and popular actor, and his career continues to gain momentum.

The recent film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, earned $521 million globally and has been well-received by both critics and audiences, successfully rebooting the team after previous movie adaptations were poorly reviewed. You can now rent or buy it on demand and on home video. It will also be streaming on Disney+ starting November 5, 2025. With its success, the film is expected to attract even more viewers over the next year and establish the Fantastic Four as a major part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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2025-10-25 17:49