- calendar_today August 9, 2025
Pedro Pascal’s Humanity Is His Superpower
Pedro Pascal wants to talk. It’s not surprising. In a culture where celebrity advocacy is handcuffed by corporate gatekeeping, fan service, and managed narratives, stars who seem distant, subdued, or overly careful are unsurprising. When Hollywood journalists are replaced by influencer video calls and editors increasingly rely on clickbait instead of in-depth reporting, the safe route is understandable. Public figures remain circumspect for good reason — the media can be brutal if they say something that is deemed inflammatory, if their words are taken out of context, or if their statement offends someone. On any of these grounds, a career can be damaged or even destroyed.
And yet there is Pascal. The 50-year-old actor is as committed to speaking his mind and calling for change as he is to doing press for his films. Longtime fans might have felt that Pascal was destined to be a global star, but never like this. For them, his success is more authentic than most celeb journeys feel these days.
The Chilean-American’s trajectory is unique. After breakthrough roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, Pascal is now the lead in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps as scientist hero Dr. Reed Richards. But away from costumed press junkets, the actor who made many for the first time after Game of Thrones continues to use his platform and visibility to raise awareness for social justice and humanitarian issues. Pascal doesn’t only use his 11 million Instagram followers to post about his new films — he also raises awareness for food blockades in Gaza, sports “Protect The Dolls” shirts in solidarity with LGBTQ+ victims, and regularly links to the fundraising pages for organisations like Doctors Without Borders and The Trevor Project.
Sky News spoke with Pascal during his London press tour for The Fantastic Four, and the actor was candid about the risks of speaking truthfully in the current media landscape.
“I think it’s very easy to get scared, no matter what you sort of talk about,” he said.
He’s not wrong. A single sentence, ripped out of context, can go viral on TikTok or end up in a misleading headline within hours. “There are so many different ways that things can get kind of fractured and have a life of itself,” he continues.
Despite the risk, Pascal doesn’t promise to tread carefully or clarify the subjects he’s willing to discuss.
“There’s one thing that you can say and no matter what your intention behind it, it is lost in all of these different headlines, I suppose—but I’ll never shut up.”
Simple as that. The line lingers after the Sky News four-minute video ends. It’s a tacit acknowledgement of a unique responsibility that often accompanies celebrity. Most actors understand what is at stake in a post-truth world where reputation can be so swiftly built or so cruelly dismantled. The fact that Pascal recognises the risk, but also acknowledges that the risk is nothing compared to the risk of silence, is refreshing.
Pedro Pascal Is More Than a Superhero
The Fantastic Four: First Steps finds Pascal as Reed Richards, a man tasked with defending the future of the world as a superhero, but who must also fight to save his humanity as his wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), prepares to give birth to their child. It’s a neat metaphor, if you think about it. The film’s Richards carries the weight of public expectation and responsibility, but he also holds onto his moral compass and sense of justice to protect those he loves.
Written and directed by WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman, the new movie is a standalone take on Marvel’s storied comic book quartet. Alongside Pascal, the cast includes Kirby as Richards’ wife and love interest, Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as military officer Ben Grimm, and newcomer Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch Johnny Storm.
In a year when countless celebrities chose to remain silent for fear of being cancelled, Pascal’s choice to continue talking is a small act of defiance. It’s admirable. The off-screen integrity of Pascal, a self-made actor who understands the power of celebrity, is more important than his new role as a superhero.
His commitment to integrity comes from a place deeper than the Marvel multiverse. Pascal wasn’t the kind of actor who went viral in a single TikTok video and was quickly shopped around as a marketable human product. His stardom is the result of many hours of slow, difficult work — playing complex, often tortured roles and staying true to himself.
Pedro Pascal’s power is his refusal to be “shut up.” As far as celebrity comeuppance goes, some will argue that he’s too big to fail. But in an increasingly stratified world where some stars are never to be questioned and others are disposable, Pascal is making a statement. Speaking out is resistance.
Celebrities are human beings first, and only then actors, singers, footballers, models, reality stars, or whatever else. It’s a simple but important point, and when celebrities like Pascal choose to speak about the important issues, it should be celebrated.
Pedro Pascal might have recently reached the ranks of mega fame, but his approach to social justice issues is consistent with the entire body of his work. Perhaps that’s why Pascal is, simply, “fantastic.”
