Pedro Pascal's Recast Role Causes Upset for 'The Mandalorian' Fans

There doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by when people aren’t talking about Pedro Pascal. The man of the moment, the Internet’s “Daddy,” has been in the spotlight near consistently for the last half a decade, and that trajectory looks set to continue as the Chilean-American actor takes over a new role in a celebrated recasting. But when one door opens, another is likely to slam in the faces of a dedicated fanbase.

Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller in 'The Last of Us' — Credit: HBO

Actor Pedro Pascal rose to international recognition playing Oberyn Martell in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Later, the actor starred in Narcos on Netflix before making his splashy Star Wars debut in Lucasfilm’s flagship television show, The Mandalorian. From there, the Hollywood star has been on the rise, with roles in HBO’s The Last of Us, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor award at the Emmys, and parts in feature films like Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), with Nicolas Cage. He will next star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 (2024) alongside Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers).

Despite him being so well-known in Star Wars and Disney circles for playing Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin, Pascal was recently confirmed to be joining another Disney-owned franchise: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in the N1 Starfighter in 'The Mandalorian' — Credit: Lucasfilm

Marvel Studios has been facing a near crisis this past few years. After the pandemic shut down movie theaters in 2020, the studio’s massive 2019–which saw billion-dollar hits like Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame debut–will seemingly never be repeated. Kevin Feige’s franchise switched to streaming with a constant stream of releases and upon returning to the big screen, failed to wield the power it once had.

After a worrying 2023, which saw the likes of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels bomb out at the box office and become two of the worst-reviewed MCU movies to date, 2024 is already looking different. Marvel will no longer force multiple releases on fans. Just Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s R-rated Deadpool & Wolverine will debut this year, in July.

Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson in the teaser for 'Deadpool & Wolverine' — Credit: Marvel Studios

And following that, Marvel will officially debut two new teams in 2025: the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four. The former has been known since 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, where it was revealed that Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will be teaming up with other anti-heroes like the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and the Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

Fantastic Four, on the other hand, has been shrouded in secrecy for a long time. The cast of the Phase Six movie has floated for a while, but just this week, Marvel Studios confirmed that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will be taking on the roles of Marvel’s first family, Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/Thing. WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman is directing.

The official cast announcement of Fantastic Four, featuring everyone enjoying themselves in the living room — Credit: Marvel Studios

Response to the casting, which was broken using a Happy Valentine’s Day card, has been largely positive, with fans celebrating the likes of Pascal and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn getting roles in a huge Marvel movie. Pascal’s recast role was formerly played by the likes of Ioan Gruffudd in the 2005 Fantastic Four film and by Miles Teller in the 2015 reboot. The latter was the last Fantastic Four film distributed by 20th Century Studios before Disney acquired the business. Josh Krasinski starred as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).

But this casting also signals big changes for Star Wars and the future of The Mandalorian.

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in the cockpit in 'The Mandalorian' S3 — Credit: Lucasfilm

Fantastic Four is slated for a July 25, 2025 release, and just a year later, Pascal is set to return to his role as Din Djarin in The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026). The Star Wars movie, helmed by Mando creator Jon Favreau, was revealed earlier this year and will be part of Disney’s huge 2026 line-up. But while this is exciting to have big franchises drop new projects consecutively, it also suggests that The Mandalorian Season 4 is about to get even more pushed back–or canceled entirely.

Favreau previously said that Season 4 is written, and yet the announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu could be that story in feature film form. It’s clear that Bob Iger’s Disney company is clawing its way back into the hearts of moviegoers, and the use of a popular Star Wars property like The Mandalorian will surely do just the thing. There is also the case for Dave Filoni’s Mando-Verse, or Heir to the Empire, movie, which sees all the New Republic stories (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew) come together in a battle against Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) flies with Gorgu in-hand in concept art for Lucasfilm's 'The Mandalorian & Grogu' — Credit: Lucasfilm

So, between readying for Gladiator 2, filming Fantastic Four and The Mandalorian & Grogu (potentially starring in Filoni’s film, too), and working on The Last of Us Season 2 with Bella Ramsey, how will Pascal make time for The Mandalorian Season 4? And, even then, will there be enough of a story to tell if the climactic moments are being inserted into the two New Republic movies coming down the pipeline?

Either way, The Mandalorian fans are likely going to miss out on seeing the story of Din Djarin and Grogu play out on the small screen, as they have for the last five years.

Do you think The Mandalorian Season 4 will happen? Are you excited to see Pedro Pascal in Fantastic Four? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!