Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) Actor Pedro Pascal who will be seen as 'Mr. Fantastic' in the latest addition in the MCU, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" revealed that the role changed the course of his life.

Getting candid about his fateful casting in the film, Pedro shared, "It was a big strange thing that I hadn't planned on happening. It changed the course of my life in a very sudden way, so I really had to process."

The director of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", Matt Shakman revealed that the film isn’t simply a period piece. Instead, it transports audiences to a parallel Earth within the vast Marvel multiverse, a world where history has unfolded with a touch of retro-futuristic flair.

According to him, a key element of this reimagined '60s is the role of the Fantastic Four themselves. "We knew that we'd be on another Earth, so we had a chance to reinvent what the '60s looked like. I was really interested in imagining the Fantastic Four being astronauts. Instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin going to the moon, what if it was Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben who were really the first to go into outer space, the first to push those boundaries?", Shakman said.

Beyond the captivating setting and visual style, Shakman further emphasizes the crucial aspect of casting in the movie saying, "Casting was the number one challenge for the film." He added, "It wasn't just a search for who was the best Ben and who was the best Johnny, but also who was the best family? Who was the best married couple? Who were the best siblings and honorary uncle? So it's been very gratifying to see the incredible chemistry that the four of them have had since the beginning."

The project has been produced by Kevin Feige, featuring music by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is slated to hit the theaters on July 25, 2025.