Pedro Pascal has officially addressed the swirling speculation that his character, Reed Richards, will lead the Avengers in Marvel’s upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday. Despite comments from Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman that appeared to hint otherwise, Pascal says that that narrative leap is premature and misleading.“It’s a little bit of a... mislead,” Pascal told the Associated Press. The rumors took off earlier this month after Shakman’s interview with Variety, in which he described Reed as evolving into “the guy who’s leading the Avengers.” Fans took this as a clue about Reed Richards’ future in Avengers: Doomsday, especially given that Pascal and his Fantastic Four co-stars are confirmed to appear in the 2026 Marvel ensemble film.During the interview, Matt Shakman explained Pascal's character progression as going from the science nerd to the guy who's at the helm of the Avengers. But Pascal insists his character's arc does not currently include stepping into a leadership role among Earth's Mightiest Heroes.Will Pedro Pascal lead the Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday?In an interview with the Associated Press, Pedro Pascal confronted the rumors directly and tried to lay things to rest. Talking about whether Reeds will be assuming a "leadership position" in Avengers: Doomsday, Pascal said that while "it is something that happens in the comics, it isn't necessarily something that [his] character's future entails."Pascal insisted he wasn't attempting to mislead or tease fans, despite Avengers Doomsday being full of secrets and cameos. "I am being honest in that. I am not even trying to avoid spoilers," he continued. "It's a little bit of a mislead."His words indicate that while Reed might have a significant role to play in Avengers: Doomsday, he isn't the appointed team leader fans might have anticipated.Pedro Pascal, who co-stars with Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in Fantastic Four, also confirmed that the actors did not have traditional auditions. They were instead cast following one-on-one appointments with Shakman, and they rehearsed for three weeks in order to form their chemistry before cameras started rolling.What is Avengers: Doomsday about and more details?Scheduled to be released on December 18, 2026, Avengers: Doomsday is the 39th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a direct sequel to Avengers: Endgame. It will bring together not only the main Avengers squad but also the Wakandans, the Fantastic Four, the New Avengers, and the X-Men. Produced by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely, Avengers Doomsday is being marketed as Marvel's largest ensemble film.The movie will bring these teams together to battle a unified enemy: Victor Von Doom.In a twist move, Robert Downey Jr. is set to appear as the villainous Doom, making a comeback to the MCU not as Iron Man. Co-director Joe Russo has said that Doom is one of the most complex comic book characters ever, and Downey created his own backstory and costume design concepts for the character.Production on Avengers: Doomsday started in April 2025 at Pinewood Studios in the UK, with further shooting in Bahrain. The returning MCU regulars include Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova).For the unversed, Pedro Pascal's latest movie Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently available to watch in theatres.