Lucifer star Tom Ellis reveals he almost joined Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Tom Ellis, best known for his roles in ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Merlin’, nearly missed a chance to play a Marvel superhero. Yes, that’s right. After winning hearts playing the flamboyant Lucifer Morningstar, Ellis almost stepped into the Marvel universe as Reed Richards/ Mister Fantastic in‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’.

Though the role ultimately went to Pedro Pascal, Ellis had almost become a part of it. In a recent interview with square mile, Ellis revealed that he auditioned for Mister Fantastic and was seriously considered for the part.

“There was a select group of people that got asked to tape for Reed Richards,” Ellis told the outlet. “I had been waiting for the right thing, timing-wise and character-wise, to come along.”Ellis also felt that his physical resemblance to the comic book version of Mister Fantastic made him a strong contender for the project.

“And I remember looking at the photo of Richards in the comics and going, ‘this could be the one.’ We look quite similar,” the actor said. Ellis auditioned for the role, sent the tape, but he was told that Pedro Pascal got it. He also quipped about Pascal’s comparatively limited screen presence, “I mean to be fair, he’s not in much.”

The ‘Lucifer’ star, however, does not doubt the fact that Pedro Pascal did justice to the role.

“He’s great, though. He is great. I’m looking forward to seeing it. The trailer looks quite fun,” he said. Meanwhile, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’was well-received. The film also featured Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn in the lead roles. The film grossed $521 million worldwide. Times Entertainment ranked the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote, "Pedro Pascal stands out as Reed Richards, portraying the duality of a brilliant scientific mind who views everything through a pragmatic lens.

His internal conflict over his unborn child’s normalcy—constantly running scans and tests—is handled with finesse.

"

“With enjoyable action sequences, sharp humour, and relatable characterisation balanced with stellar CGI and set pieces, this is a fantastic cinematic experience—one best enjoyed on the big screen,” our critic wrote.

On the other hand, Ellis’recent outing was Washington Black, a series in which he plays a crucial role. The series features Ernest Kingsley Jr., Eddie Karanja, Rupert Graves, Iola Evans, Edward Bluemel, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster in the lead roles. The eight-episode series is streaming on Hulu.