It’s Official: ‘Fantastic Four’ Has a Rachel Zegler Problem
MCU film's stars keep alienating patrons, but Pascal may be worst case yet
Hollywood stars learned little from ZeglerGate.
Rising star Rachel Zegler helped tank her Disney dud “Snow White” first by trashing the source material and, later, by alienating half the country.
Her comments got endless media attention, both of the Legacy and New Media variety. You couldn’t escape it. And none of it helped lure fans to see the live-action update.
It’s happening again, but worse.
The stars of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” took a page from Zegler’s playbook. First, two of the four main stars disparaged the source material.
Joseph Quinn (AKA Johnny Storm) called the character a sexist in a press interview, assuring movie goers the new Johnny would be enlightened (dull?).
“He’s a man that leads with a lot of bravado, which can be an affront sometimes. But also he’s funny,” Quinn said of Johnny. “Myself and [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin [Feige] were speaking about previous iterations of him and where we are culturally. He was branded as this womanizing, devil-may-care guy, but is that sexy these days? I don’t think so.”
The eye-rolling from Comic-Con Nation began, and it kicked into a higher gear after The Invisible Woman, AKA Vanessa Kirby, took a stab at attacking the beloved comic book series.
“If you played an exact ’60s Sue today, everyone would think she was a bit of a doormat … So figuring out how to capture the essence of what she represented to each generation, where the gender politics were different, and embody that today, was one of the greatest joys of this.”
Here we woke again.
The comments didn’t catch fire like a certain Zegler quote, but they got plenty of attention from those already skeptical of Hollywood reimagining beloved properties. Casting a woman to play the Silver Surfer didn’t help.
Enter Pedro Pascal, the man who plays Reed Richards in the film.
The in-demand actor, currently starring in Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” unleashed both barrels in recent days. First, he donned a pro-trans T-shirt “Protect the Dolls” at the UK premiere of “Thunderbolts.” The actor’s sibling is trans and he’s been actively supporting that community for some time.
Wearing the shirt is a provocative statement. No one wishes harm to members of the trans community, or any community, for that matter. The debate over trans women in women’s sports, however, is legitimate. So is the argument against allowing children to endure so-called “gender affirming care.”
He wasn’t done.
The actor blasted author J.K. Rowling, a critic of trans women competing against biological women, as “heinous loser behavior” on Instagram.
He also called her comments “awful” and “disgusting.” The post upon which he commented called for a boycott of all things Rowling.
Pascal’s attacks went viral earlier today.
That will remind some of Pascal’s past comments regarding President Trump’s supporters. Pascal likened them to Nazis.
Even Zegler didn’t go that far.
“The Fantastic Four” film, debuting July 25, represents the third attempt to bring the Marvel Comics quartet to the big screen. The first effort (2005) eked out a sequel (2007) but few reflect fondly on the films. The glossier 2015 reboot starring Miles Teller bombed with audiences and critics alike.
This may be the last try at bringing The Thing and co. into the MCU. This kind of messaging from the film’s core players won’t help.
Zegler could have told them that if they would only listen.
The only acting I’ve seen from Pedro was the Maladorian. Full armor, saw his head once. Ripoff of Spaghetti western, but cool. Disney fired a character for her conservative tweets. Anyway, Pedro is no Olivier, and I have no plans buying a ticket. Plus, the first 2 FF movies were pretty good.
Growing up in the 70’s and early 80’s the Fantastic Four and the Avengers were my go-to comics. When I heard about this movie I was excited to see it, hoping that the energy of the original comics could be revived. Then I started hearing more about who was cast…particularly Pedro Pascal…and started to lose interest. I just don’t understand the Pascal love out there. Average actor at best, and certainly not anything like the Reed we see in the source material. Then I saw the Silver Surfer gender-swapped. Then I saw the trailer. I now have very low expectations. I just don’t understand why movies have to change the source material so much. Not just Marvel, but in other areas as well. The prime example might be the Idris Elba version of Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” novels.
I’m kind of an idiot because I will probably go see the movie anyway. Hope springs eternal, after all. Excelsior!
Sounds like a Disney kind of problem more than a Zeigler kind of problem.
So I’m done with Pedro.
Eventually the supply of mentally ill nitwits will run out! When the poisoning of Our Nation ends and people return to being “normal” this will phase out! OR, people will just get tired of the “drama” and that will be it!
The issue with “womanizing” men needs to end! Boys should be active and busy doing something! Keeping them sedated is not the answer!
NEITHER is making movies less “masculine toxic”! Hopefully that crap will die out first – and QUICKLY!
They’ve basically made it impossible for men to ask women out. Men are going their own way, just for self-preservation. And women wonder why no men ask them out? When fembots become common, that will probably be the end of mankind. Cherry 2000 is on the way and either women learn to be rational, or we go extinct.
I agree
Hard pass.
“No one wishes harm to members of the trans community, or any community, for that matter.”
Hate crimes are literally up according to the FBI. What a clown.
I was speaking for myself … as the author of the piece.
The surge in US hate crimes is mainly against Jews and Christians. Look at the school shootings.
Yeah, and they’re being attacked by other Trans people.
“hate crimes”? Maybe you could ask your creepy mentally damaged crossdresser pals to stop already with the mass shooting tantrums. That would lower the “hate crimes” stats, no?….
Only because they list any crime against them as a hate crime, even though it may never have been due to their mental illness
Your writing is utter garbage
Just wanted to let you know.
Phew! I thought your opinion would get lost in the digital universe!
You watch: the lesson Disney will learn from this flop will be “Well, I guess people just don’t like the Fantastic Four anymore”. Then they’ll go on to destroy a different franchise.
I grew up reading the Fantastic Four comic books. I’ll stick with those memories.
Same here! And the 2005 FF movie was at least decent.
And I would have been been delighted with a respectful reboot along the lines of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the 2008 “Iron Man”.
F Hollywood.
Awful actors/actresses acting awful. How we have all learned to hate those people and Hollywood in general. Hopefully this movie will fail as spectacularly as Snow White.
Hollywood- A wretched hive of scum and villainy.
Respect to Pedro. It’s not easy to stand up for what it’s right sometimes. Especially now when people try to stop you.
Brave? Nearly everyone in Hollywood thinks alike.
Love it when misogynists try to tell us that men in dresses who are invading our spaces, most of whom are doing with the sole purpose of harming us, is “the right thing”
Sorry your mom sucked so bad that you do not value woman, but just because your mom was a sh*t woman doesn’t mean all woman are sh*t.
LoL
Yeah, it’s like telling everyone how good the sh*t cookies are when everyone else thinks they taste horrible and are unhealthy.
Respect!
Pedro simply made a statement, and you applaud him as if he did something amazing. Trump is taking on an establishment, and an attempt to pul the US into a New World Order, and you can’t stand him. Pedro has done a small fractiok of what Trump has done for the rest of us
I care about movie and not what the stars are stating outside of it. Who cares? If you boycotted everything stars said then conservatives would have s*** for entertainment
I can’t believe that this keeps happening. I realize these delusional pampered actors don’t know better but don’t the producers of the movies care?
I would think that producers would have rules in place for the stars about this for the sake of the movie. I can assure you that if I spoke out publicly and it cost my company millions I would be fired on the spot.
Bomb incoming! Bomb incoming!
I would set the over-under at $40 million opening weekend.
Bomb incoming!