Pedro Pascal's Next Sci-Fi Movie Looks Way More Fun Than 'Fantastic Four: First Steps'

Pedro Pascal has had an interesting couple of years in blockbuster cinema, featuring in numerous intriguing projects like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. Most recently, he played Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a movie that arrived with serious ambitions and a 1960s retro-futurist aesthetic that critics largely admired. The film was unsurprisingly serious, as it served as the official introduction of Marvel’s First Family. 

It was an important movie, especially following the mixed reception of Phases 4 and 5. Marvel needed a major win, so they opted for a more serious tone compared to other MCU entries. It wasn't a bad choice, and it certainly wasn't a disaster; the only issue is that it didn’t have the irreverent fun that often makes action flicks exciting. 

However, Pedro Pascal is heading back to a galaxy far, far away as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian & Grogu, the first Star Wars theatrical release since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. And based on the trailers Lucasfilm has put out, this one is shaping up to be something Fantastic Four never really managed to be: a genuine blast. 

The first thing you notice about the Mandalorian & Grogu trailers is how much fun they're having. Not in a forced, "look, we're making jokes now" sense, but in an adventurous, popcorn-movie kind of way. In one of the trailers, Grogu rides in a speeder with a trio of Anzellans, tiny creatures roughly the size of toasters. He gets a little paintball gauntlet and uses it to shoot a rodent. He even sneakily tries to steal snacks with his Force powers and hilariously gets caught. In a few seconds, the little guy gets a more fun personality than some characters manage in a 2-hour film.

The film's villain situation helps, too. The antagonist in Mandalorian & Grogu is Embo, a Kyuzo bounty hunter imported from The Clone Wars animated series, with a new pet anooba at his side. He's pretty formidable, shown approaching Din Djarin's location on a rain-soaked planet as lightning cracks behind him. But Embo is not trying to end the universe. 

He's a bounty hunter doing a job, presumably hired by the Hutt Twins, who want to establish their criminal dynasty in the post-Empire power vacuum. The world is not coming to an end, so the characters can afford to have as much fun as possible.

 In the case of First Steps, the Fantastic Four hadn’t faced a threat like Galactus before, so they didn’t have time to kid around, except for Johnny, of course. Even that isn’t much of an excuse because Endgame had a bigger threat, and still managed to be a fun watch with good jokes.

The Mandalorian & Grogu Being Fun Is a Good Thing

There's a broader argument here beyond just comparing two Pedro Pascal movies. Star Wars is returning to theaters for the first time in seven years, and the franchise can't afford to walk in carrying the same heaviness that dragged down its last few big swings. The Last Jedi split the fanbase, The Rise of Skywalker tried to paper over that divide and ended up satisfying almost nobody. The brand needed a reset, and a fun, low-pressure adventure built around two characters people already love is about as safe and smart a starting point as you can get.

Fun, done right, isn't shallow like some moviegoers believe. The original Star Wars trilogy was entertaining first and everything else second. The stakes were still very high, but the movies never forgot that the audience was supposed to enjoy themselves. First Steps lost this balance, and it hurt the film. The Fantastic Four is a massive property with the potential to reach much higher heights than the film actually achieved. 

However, it would be disingenuous to say the First Steps not being fun is the only reason it didn’t reach its full potential. Previous Fantastic Four films performing disastrously didn’t help matters either. But whatever the case may be, a family of superheroes that the audience can't laugh with is just four people in matching suits. The Mandalorian & Grogu is being smart by adding a touch of fun to its family outing.