Pedro Pascal talks joining beloved franchises like The Last of Us and Gladiator

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Pedro Pascal landing roles in huge Hollywood franchises. The 49-year-old actor rose to prominence thanks to his portrayal of Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones. Since then, he's jumped between several Hollywood franchises, most notably playing the title character in the first-ever live-action Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian.

The massive roles just keep on coming. He'll return as Joel Miller in the second season of HBO's The Last of Us next year. We'll also see him as Reed Richards in Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four movie. But before that, he'll play Marcus Acacius in Ridley Scott's long-anticipated Gladiator sequel, Gladiator II.

Clearly, Pascal is a seasoned veteran at joining beloved universes. Given that every project he does comes with immense expectations, how does he manage the pressure? In the case of Gladiator II, he was all about staying true to the original and seeing where it takes him.

"You don't remove yourself from it," he told Entertainment Weekly. "You just jump on the ride, and the rest really isn't up to you. It's all meant to service the thing that is loved initially, and that's the intention that everyone has going into it. So it really is just getting on the ride and putting all the love you can into it."

The Gladiator sequel has particularly challenged Pascal as an actor. While he's used to big stunts and physically draining work — look no further than Oberyn's final fight scene on Game of Thrones — he found Gladiator to be a different beast.  "A lot of work has been really physical, and I love that, but it was more challenging than it's ever been for me."

Gladiator II opens November 15 in theaters. Not long to go now, folks!

Pedro Pascal shares behind-the-scenes photo from Fantastic Four!

Pascal's other hugely anticipated movie project is The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Marvel fans have been desperate to see the Fantastic Four join the all-encompassing MCU for over a decade at this point. And after a few teasers here and there, including seeing John Krasinski as Reed Richards in the second Doctor Strange movie, the official team will make their debut in 2025.

Naturally, the casting team sought out Pedro Pascal to play Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic. With filming underway, Pascal recently shared a behind-the-scenes photo from the set on his Instagram Story, featuring his chair alongside that of Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm).

Fantastic Four: First Steps is slated to premiere in July 2025.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.