One actor will be taking over the mainstream sci-fi genre in 2026: Pedro Pascal. Pascal has been part of some major franchises in recent years. Some of Pascal's best movies and shows include Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and Gladiator II. Beyond that, Pascal has had roles in some sci-fi behemoths.
Pascal's appearance in several Star Wars TV shows made him more popular than ever before, with The Mandalorian leading the charge as the most widespread. Then, a 2025 Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, saw Pascal become a lead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thanks to these franchises and two of the most anticipated movies of 2026, Pedro Pascal is set to take over sci-fi cinema in the coming year.
Disney Is Bringing The Mandalorian To Theaters In 2026
The first of Pascal's major 2026 appearances is scheduled for May 2026: the story of The Mandalorian and Grogu. The movie will be Star Wars' first since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, marking the end of Lucasfilm's seven-year cinematic hiatus. Spinning off of The Mandalorian season 3, the show will center on Pascal's titular character and his adopted son, Grogu.
The duo will be facing off against Imperial remnants in the New Republic era of Star Wars
With Pascal leading it and opening up the 2026 summer movie period, the actor will have a massive start to the year. Star Wars remains the biggest sci-fi movie franchise in history, grossing over $10 billion worldwide. With Pascal headlining that franchise's next movie, he will begin his domination of sci-fi in 2026.
Pedro Pascal Is Set To Be One Of The Leads Of Avengers: Doomsday
If The Mandalorian and Grogu was not enough, Pedro Pascal will co-lead another gigantic movie in December 2026. The story of Avengers: Doomsday will be released at the end of the year, marking the MCU's biggest, most important cinematic release since Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Doomsday, regardless of whether the movie is good or not, will be a huge talking point worldwide, likely earning at least $1 billion at the global box office. Pascal will play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in the movie, the leader of The Fantastic Four. With the movie's main villain being Doctor Doom, Richards' arch-nemesis, Pascal will almost certainly have a large role in Doomsday.
Combining this with The Mandalorian and Grogu, Pascal is taking the sci-fi genre by storm in 2026.
Pedro Pascal's Career Continues To Skyrocket
Pascal's dominance of sci-fi in 2026 only proves how his career continues to skyrocket. Pascal's first mainstream performance was in Game of Thrones season 4 in 2014, leading to acclaimed roles in Narcos and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. The Mandalorian then made Pascal even more recognizable, as did his other Star Wars appearances.
Since then, Pascal has appeared in major projects like Gladiator II, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and The Last of Us. These projects have all but solidified Pascal as a household name, which 2026 will only continue to do. With massive Star Wars and MCU appearances coming, Pedro Pascal's sci-fi efforts in the coming year will make him one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
