10 Fantastic Four Comics Pedro Pascal Should Read Before Playing Reed Richards

Reed Richards is one of the founding members of the Fantastic Four, Mister Fantastic himself. Married to Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, Reed is among the smartest people in the Marvel Universe, usually at odds with Doctor Doom and Namor. Marvel Studios recently announced that Pedro Pascal will be playing the latest live-action Reed Richards in the MCU, and based on The Fantastic Four (2025) teaser image, this will be a very different Fantastic Four.

Regardless, Pascal should probably brush up on Marvel’s First Family––and Reed Richards in particular. While Mister Fantastic is a hero, his actions have radically altered Marvel’s multiverse. From discovering the Negative Zone to challenging Galactus to creating his own universe as the Maker, Reed Richards is a complex character to which a talented actor like Pedro Pascal will surely do justice.

10 Marvel Launches The Fantastic Four

What better place to start reading the journey of Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four than the beginning? Along with Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm, Reed Richards debuted in Fantastic Four #1, launching Silver Age Marvel Comics and paving the way for the rest of the Marvel Universe.

From the very beginning, the members of the Fantastic Four fit certain character archetypes. Reed Richards was the scientific genius of the group, head too deep in his work. The Thing solves problems with his fists, while Mister Fantastic opts for his brain.

9 Reed Richards Before Mister Fantastic

Marvel readers read about the Fantastic Four’s origin story in their premiere issue in the 1960s. Decades later, Marvel Comics released a series of one-shots that explored the lives of the Fantastic Four heroes before those cosmic rays turned them into superheroes.

Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards #1-3 is an important miniseries for Pedro Pascal to read. While it’s not incredibly important to the larger Marvel Universe, it’s an interesting deep-dive into Reed’s character, exploring events that made him the man who would become Mister Fantastic and so much more.

8 Doctor Doom Traps The Fantastic Four

While the Silver Age Fantastic Four comics were fairly lighthearted, focusing more on the Fantastic Four as explorers uncovering the strange and wonderful secrets of the Marvel Universe like no other Marvel hero could before, the Fantastic Four: 1 2 3 4 miniseries was noticeably dark.

Doctor Doom seemingly trapped each member of the Fantastic Four in a new reality, playing with his prey before pouncing. Shockingly, the Doctor Doom that trapped the team merely embodied the darkest part of Reed Richards’s mind. 1 2 3 4 is another Fantastic Four comic proving how dangerous Reed Richards can be without checks and balances.

7 Silver Surfer & “The Coming Of Galactus”

News that a female Silver Surfer will join the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe played by Julia Garner surprised fans. However, the main cast playing the Fantastic Four should brush up on the Silver Surfer’s first comic book appearance… alongside Galactus.

After all, Mister Fantastic has often pondered how to defeat a being as powerful as Galactus. The Fantastic Four are over their heads as Silver Surfer arrives and warns the planet of Galactus’s imminent arrival. Galactus will likely not be far behind if the Silver Surfer premieres in the MCU.

6 Marvel’s Ultimate Universe Relaunches The Fantastic Four

In the early 2000s, Marvel Comics rebooted many of its most popular characters. The Avengers became the Ultimates, and the X-Men and Spider-Man were presented to new readers in modernized stories. The Fantastic Four wasn’t far behind. Marvel Comics took the opportunity to delve deeper into Reed Richard’s childhood.

The earliest issues of the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic series plant the seeds that will eventually grow into the Mister Fantastic, who becomes the Maker. Depending on the direction the MCU wants to take Reed, Pedro Pascal may want to read Ultimate Fantastic Four.

5 Reed Richards & The Fantastic Four Enter The Negative Zone

Legendary comic book artist Alex Ross took an old Fantastic Four comic by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, specifically the issue when Reed Richards discovered the Negative Zone, and redrew the entire comic, transforming it into Fantastic Four: Full Circle.

Full Circle is easily one of the prettiest modern Marvel comics, with trippy, psychedelic visuals and alluring colors. If the MCU Fantastic Four are explorers and scientists first and superheroes second, then Full Circle is perfect reading material for Pedro Pascal. Reed Richards values information and discovery as much as saving the world—sometimes more so.

4 Reed Richards & Doom Clash In A New Secret Wars

Doctor Doom and Reed Richards have always been at the heart of most Secret Wars titles. In the 2015 Secret Wars miniseries, Doctor Doom used the Beyonder’s powers to reshape the Marvel multiverse. He created Battleworld again, resurrecting old versions of Marvel’s multiverse and creating entirely new ones. Mister Fantastic and Marvel’s most iconic heroes tried to stop him.

No actor has been cast as the MCU Doctor Doom yet, but Pedro Pascal should read Secret Wars anyway. It delves into Doom and Reed’s relationship and rivalry. It proves how dangerous two of the smartest men in comics can be when given powers like the Beyonders or objects like the Infinity Gauntlet.

3 The Fantastic Four Create The Future Foundation

Jonathan Hickman relaunched the Fantastic Four comic in 2011, rebranding the title FF, partly because the Fantastic Four needed a fresh start and partly because “FF” did not stand for the Fantastic Four but the Future Foundation instead.

The Fantastic Four were superheroes. The Future Foundation were scientists emphasizing some of the best aspects of the original Fantastic Four concept. The Future Foundation should inspire the MCU Fantastic Four as it would differentiate them from past live-action versions and allow them to explore unseen parts of the Marvel Universe.

2 Mister Fantastic Tries To “Solve Everything” In The Marvel Multiverse

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Reed Richards possesses one of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe, superior even to Tony Stark. However, Mister Fantastic’s hubris and overconfidence usually result in massive alterations to Marvel’s universe, even the multiverse.

During Jonathan Hickman’s iconic Fantastic Four comic run, readers discovered the Council of Reed Richards, a group of Mister Fantastic from the multiverse who put their heads together to solve every problem in every universe. This grand goal has potentially disastrous consequences. Pedro Pascal must know that Reed is a hero who would ironically endanger the universe to save it.

1 Follow Reed Richards & The Fantastic Four’s Life Story

Marvel Comics published multiple miniseries, most notably starring Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, that explored the full lives of popular characters. Ignoring Marvel’s siding timescale, Fantastic Four: Life Story spans six decades of Fantastic Four adventures.

If Pedro Pascal wants a full scope of Reed Richards, then Full Circle is one of the best Fantastic Four comics to read. It presents Mister Fantastic at various ages and explores his relationships with the rest of the Fantastic Four members over the course of their entire lives.