David Tennant Reveals He Wanted to Be Mr. Fantastic in the MCU

David Tennant already made his mark on Marvel fans as the chilling mind-controlling villain Kilgrave in Netflix’s Jessica Jones, but apparently, he had dreams of taking on a much more heroic role in the MCU. He had his sights on one of Marvel’s most iconic Characters.

During a panel at MCM Comic Con in London, Tennant was asked whether he prefers playing heroes or villains. While reflecting on his Jessica Jones run, Tennant said:

“I got the best one. That worked out quite nicely.”

His unsettling and unforgettable take on Kilgrave is still one of the MCU’s standout performances. But, when it came to playing a good guy, Tennant had a very specific character in mind:

“In terms of superheroes, I did slightly have my eye on Reed Richards.”

Tennant once fancied himself as the stretchy genius of Marvel’s First Family. Unfortunately, Marvel had other plans, casting The Last of Us and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal to lead The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Mister Fantastic.

Tennant took the news with good humor and grace:

“If it has to be someone, I’m very happy for it to be Pedro Pascal, frankly. I’d quite like to be able to do all that. Even though it’s going to be a while before there’s another go at that, unfortunately.”

Tennant is just excited to see what Pascal does with the role, saying:

“He’s Mister Fantastic, in every sense of the word. I think Pedro Pascal is great. I’m very, very pleased that he exists.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025. And as for David Tennant, never count out a return to the MCU. Multiverses, after all, are full of surprises.