Pedro Pascal Left Out of Fantastic Four Avengers: Doomsday Trailer — Raises Questions About His Supposed Box Office Power

Marvel Studios is releasing short trailers focusing on individual characters for their upcoming movie, Avengers: Doomsday. This film is particularly important for Marvel’s success, as some of their recent movies haven’t performed as well as hoped. A new trailer, which appeared online after being shown in theaters, gives a good look at the Fantastic Four—though not all of its members. Interestingly, Pedro Pascal isn’t featured in this latest trailer.

It’s surprising that Pedro Pascal wasn’t included, considering how much Hollywood is promoting him as a key star. If he’s the big box office attraction he’s made out to be, why did Disney and Marvel decide not to feature him in promoting what could be their biggest movie in years?

The Trailer Uses the Fantastic Four — Just Not Pedro Pascal

The newest trailer focuses on a meeting between Wakandan leaders and Ben Grimm, portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach. While the trailer for the upcoming Avengers movie strongly suggests the Fantastic Four will appear, Pedro Pascal, who plays Reed Richards, isn’t shown.

This wasn’t a quick, barely noticeable appearance. The trailer was very intentional about who it showed. Marvel didn’t try to hide Pascal in the background or save his appearance for a big moment – he’s just not included at all.

The decision seems stranger when you consider how the media has been portraying Pascal.

Hollywood’s Push: “Pedro Pascal Is the Draw”

As a film and TV fan, I’ve noticed a really strange trend lately. Everyone keeps saying Pedro Pascal is a huge star, and that his charisma shines through no matter what he’s in. But a lot of the conversation around The Mandalorian focuses on the fact that we don’t see his face much! People are actually arguing he should ditch the helmet more often, not because it would be good for the story, but just so we can see him more. It’s like they think Pedro Pascal’s star power is more important than the character or the show itself, which is a little odd to me.

This idea has been well-covered, including in previous reporting by That Park Place, which explained how media outlets often focus on promoting Pedro Pascal as a star—rather than the roles he plays—to attract audiences. The message is consistent: Pedro Pascal isn’t just a well-liked actor; he’s presented as a key ingredient for successful marketing.

If that were true, logic suggests Disney would be leaning on him heavily here.

They aren’t.

A Track Record That Tells a Different Story

While Pedro Pascal has found success with streaming and in television shows with many cast members, his work in theatrical films hasn’t performed as well at the box office.

A recent disappointment for Marvel was The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Despite hopes for a blockbuster, the film didn’t perform well at the box office last summer. Though the studio and media quickly moved on, the movie ultimately fell short of both expectations and its considerable budget.

Pascal has been involved in several well-known projects, including last year’s Eddington, that created a lot of online buzz but didn’t lead to long-term success in theaters. This shows a clear trend: simply being talked about online doesn’t guarantee ticket sales.

Overexposure and Audience Fatigue

Marvel might also be considering that audiences could be getting tired of seeing Pascal in everything. He’s been in high-profile TV shows, big franchise movies, various genres, and constantly promoted, and for some viewers, that constant presence has gone from being comforting to being exhausting.

Pascal’s interactions with his female co-stars on screen have consistently made audiences uncomfortable, frequently becoming a topic of discussion on social media and leading to awkward viral moments. Regardless of whether these concerns are justified, they’re widely known, and studios understand how quickly public opinion can change.

Pascal is a politically controversial figure known for his constant opposition to conservatives, which often creates strong reactions and divides public opinion.

Disney has uniquely experienced that dismissing what audiences think can lead to problems.

Disney’s Silence May Be the Loudest Statement

Marvel Studios isn’t afraid to heavily feature popular actors in its marketing. When a movie relies on a star’s name to attract audiences, Marvel makes that clear. The current marketing for Avengers: Doomsday is notably avoiding focusing on Pedro Pascal, even as it promotes the Fantastic Four portion of the film, which indicates a deliberate strategy.

As a movie fan, I think Disney gets something a lot of Hollywood seems to miss. Just because something is trending online, like with that Pascal character, doesn’t mean everyone will rush to see a movie about it. Audiences are smarter now – we’re pickier about what we spend our money on at the theater, and popularity online doesn’t guarantee a full box office.

Disney seems hesitant to heavily promote its potential Oscar contender with a story that hasn’t proven popular with moviegoers.

When the Marketing Tells You the Truth

While Hollywood promotes Pedro Pascal as a major star, and people debate what it takes for him to truly break out, the decisions studios make with their marketing campaigns often show what they really think will work.

The new film, Avengers: Doomsday, is sending a strong message: Disney decided against featuring Pedro Pascal in a leading role when it really counted.

That decision may say more about his real box office value than any glowing headline ever could.

2026-01-07 18:58