With the top spot of the Avengers’ team open for Avengers: Doomsday, many are speculating if Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards will become the leader of the new superteam. In the Marvel comics, there are times when Mister Fantastic has occasionally been a leader in the Avengers team, so it is within the realm of possibility.
In the past Avengers films, the team was led by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Captain America (Chris Evans). Since both of those characters are no longer options, a newer character could take over. However, in a recent interview with the Associated Press, Pascal debunked the idea, saying, "It isn’t necessarily something that my character’s future entails." Now that Fantastic Four: First Steps is in theaters, it is easy to see exactly why Reed won’t be leading the Avengers.
Why Reed Richards Shouldn't Lead the MCU Avengers
Although the MCU's Reed Richards is based on the comic books, this version has a distinct vibe. Pascal's Reed is warmer and more endearing. It’s obvious he loves his family, even if he can be a little socially awkward.
He's also riddled with anxiety and dark thoughts. He confesses to his wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), that he feels his job is to think up the worst-case scenarios so he knows how to fix them just in case they happen. These dark thoughts become obvious when he implies he’s considered—and ruled out—using their son Franklin as a bargaining chip against Galactus.
This Mister Fantastic is brilliant, but he has a hard time igniting hope in others. He has served as the team's spokesperson since he founded the group. Yet he's terrible at it.
When he is asked to give a calming statement to the world, he makes things worse and sets everyone into a panic. He won’t lie about the situation to keep the peace. This isn’t the man who will rally the troops when they’re down.
Reed Richards doesn’t even lead his team. The Fantastic Four may be a superhero team, but they are a family first and foremost. No one member stands out above the rest, as they all have their roles and parts to play to make their family function. Reed is the planner and the one they look to for ideas, but he is not the only one making the decisions or orchestrating the others.
The Reed in the MCU is an amazing, layered Mister Fantastic, but he would make a bad leader of the Avengers. After the hints in First Steps, it could mean that future movies may lean into an alternate, sinister side of Reed from the Ultimate Universe comic book timeline, where he is known as the Maker.
Marvel insiders now say Thor, played again by Chris Hemsworth, will become the one in charge. The choice makes sense as many of the main timeline's heroes know Thor.
The character may have started as self-centered, but now he’s matured into a seasoned warrior who also cares about his team. This leaves Reed open to be the brains behind the Avengers. His brilliance could take them to new and interesting places.
