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Pedro Pascal opened up about the age-related backlash he received for his role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Pascal plays Reed Richards also known as Mister Fantastic, alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/the Thing, in the film.
However, when the casting was announced on Valentine's Day in 2024, some fans criticised that Pascal, 50, was too old for the part.
The Games of Thrones actor revealed that he usually doesn't let backlash affect him, but he admitted that the criticism over his casting did impact him.
During a London based fan event for the film, the Gladiator II star told the AP News, "I think that sometimes the outside will find you no matter how much you try to protect yourself from it, and it just comes with the territory."
Pascal said the backlash affected him more than usual because he felt extra "nervous" and more "sensitive" to how much "fans love the characters" and stories and that "they wouldn't exist if it weren't for the love that people give."
He then went on to share that it's important to him that "expectations are fulfilled" especially when it comes to satisfying fans. He explained that the only way to achieve that is by giving it "all my focus and all my heart and my body and my soul" which he said is the best he could offer.
The film follows the conflict between the superhero group and the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) with her boss, a planet-eating god called Galactus, who threatens to destroy the Fantastic Four's Earth.
The Fantastic Four: First Step is set to release on July 24.
