Pedro Pascal 'Reaffirms' Robert Downey Jr.'s 'Confidence in the Industry'; Marvel Star Remembers RDJ's 'Homework Days' for Avengers.

Before facing off in Marvel's upcoming mega project Avengers: Doomsday, the actors behind its central arch-enemies Doctor Doom and Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Robert Downey Jr and Pedro Pascal appear to be getting along well off the camera. It's no surprise that RDJ is thoroughly impressed with Pedro, who is making his MCU debut with the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps

before reprising his role in Doomsday. Downey Jr. and Pedro seem to have developed a close bond on set. RDJ, who initiated it all as Iron Man, has even praised Pedro as one of his co-stars in a new Vanity Fair cover story.

Robert Downey Jr lauds Pedro's trajectory
Downey Jr. and Pedro have been filming Avengers: Doomsday at Pinewood Studios in the U.K. for some time now. According to reports, and if we trust the Marvel comic books, the film will feature these two at the center of the main conflict. However, off the camera, there's a strong sense of camaraderie. RDJ even commended Pedro's "slow trajectory to becoming a household name," which he believes "reaffirms" his faith in the industry. This was a nod to Pedro's rising fame, having been part of several notable projects outside the MCU as well. Some of these include The Last of Us, Materialists, Eddington, and The Mandalorian.
Downey Jr. told Vanity Fair, "Pascal’s slow trajectory to becoming a household name who is on a wildly hot streak kind of reaffirms my faith in our industry."
Pedro Pascal on facing criticism for Marvel casting
Pedro responded, "He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent." The 50-year-old acknowledged that he was aware of the "disgruntlement" surrounding his casting as Reed Richards. He shared that on challenging days, he turned to Downey and remained committed to Marvel despite feeling nervous about joining the MCU, which already features many icons.
Revealing his experience during the Avengers cast "homework days" hosted by Downey, Pedro stated that the senior actor helped ease his nerves. "I’m more aware of disgruntlement around my casting than anything I’ve ever done. ‘He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave. He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent," he expressed.
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Vanessa Kirby weighs in for Pedro Pascal
Pedro's Fantastic Four co-star Vanessa Kirby also shared her thoughts in the interview. She remarked, "He doesn’t have much armor, so he shows himself to you straight away, and you trust that person because he’s revealing himself to you in this very brave way."
While The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release on July 25, Avengers: Doomsday will arrive in December 2027.