Over six weeks in the summer of 2025, Pedro Pascal opened three movies: Materialists on June 13, Eddington on July 18 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25. That is the kind of run actors twice his screen-age chase for decades. We went back through everything from his 1999 Buffy guest spot to his Marvel debut and ranked the 23 roles that matter, with where to stream each one right now.
Key Takeaways
– Best role: Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us (2023-2025), which earned Pascal Emmy nominations for lead actor in a drama in 2023 and 2025.
– Breakout: Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones season 4 (2014), a one-season part that rewrote his career.
– Biggest box office: The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), at roughly $520 million worldwide.
– Upcoming: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22, 2026), Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027).
– Where to watch most of it: HBO Max, Disney+ and Netflix cover his essential TV work.
Pedro Pascal at a Glance
Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile, on April 2, 1975. His family fled the Pinochet regime when he was a baby, and he grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and Orange County, California. He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1997 and spent the next decade and change as a working New York actor. That meant theater, a run of procedural guest spots including the Law & Order franchise, and a 2014 turn as Edmund in King Lear at the Delacorte in Central Park opposite John Lithgow. The fame came late, and it came all at once.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1975, Santiago, Chile |
| Training | NYU Tisch School of the Arts, class of 1997 |
| Early credit name | Pedro Balmaceda |
| Breakout role | Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones (2014) |
| Emmy nominations | The Last of Us (2023, 2025); SNL guest host (2023) |
| Golden Globe nomination | The Last of Us (2024 ceremony) |
| First Marvel role | Reed Richards, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) |
How We Ranked Them
We weighed four things: the quality of the performance, how much the role asked of him, how well the project holds up, and how much it shaped the Pascal we know now. One-scene procedural parts are out. Voice work and cameos made it in only where they say something about his career. Streaming availability is US-based and accurate at the time of writing, though licensing deals shift often.
The Ranking: Every Major Pedro Pascal Role
1. Joel Miller, The Last of Us (2023-2025)
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s adaptation of the Naughty Dog game needed a lead who could play grief without speeches, and Pascal gave Joel a guardedness that cracks a little more every episode opposite Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. Season 2 gave him a smaller, more devastating arc that we won’t spoil for anyone who hasn’t played the game. This is the most complete work he has done on screen. Where to watch: HBO Max.
2. Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones (2014)
He was on screen for one season of HBO’s behemoth and still owns it. Oberyn arrives in King’s Landing loose, horny for revenge and wildly charismatic, and Pascal makes every scene with Peter Dinklage crackle. Episode 8, “The Mountain and the Viper,” is the moment casting directors started calling. Where to watch: HBO Max.
3. Din Djarin, The Mandalorian (2019-2023)
Acting through a helmet for most of three seasons sounds like a gimmick. Pascal turned it into a performance built on voice and posture, sharing the physical role with doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder. His bond with Grogu became the emotional engine of Disney’s streaming era, and he carried it into The Book of Boba Fett (2022). Where to watch: Disney+.
4. Javier Peña, Narcos (2015-2017)
In the show’s first two seasons, Peña was the sardonic DEA partner to Boyd Holbrook’s Steve Murphy, chasing Wagner Moura’s Pablo Escobar. In season 3, Netflix moved Pascal to the center against the Cali cartel, and he proved he could lead a show. Peña’s moral rot is played with a shrug, which makes it scarier. Where to watch: Netflix.
5. Silva, Strange Way of Life (2023)
Pedro Almodóvar’s 31-minute queer western premiered at Cannes and plays like a feature compressed into a sigh. Pascal and Ethan Hawke play former lovers reuniting after 25 years, and the tenderness he finds is something his franchise work rarely allows. Seek it out on a big screen if a repertory house programs it. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
6. Harry Castillo, Materialists (2025)
Celine Song’s follow-up to Past Lives casts him as the impossibly rich suitor to Dakota Johnson’s Manhattan matchmaker, with Chris Evans as the broke ex. Pascal plays Harry as a man aware of his own price tag, and his loneliness lands harder than the script expects. It’s also a very New York movie about what romance costs here. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally; A24 titles typically land on HBO Max.
7. Ted Garcia, Eddington (2025)
Ari Aster’s pandemic western, set in a New Mexico town in May 2020, pits Joaquin Phoenix’s sheriff against Pascal’s smooth, tech-friendly mayor. He’s the straight man in a movie that keeps detonating, and he’s very good at the politician’s handshake smile. Divisive film, sharp supporting turn. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
8. Javi Gutierrez, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Tom Gormican’s meta comedy needed someone to love Nicolas Cage as much as the audience does. Pascal’s starstruck billionaire superfan is the funniest he has ever been on screen, and the Cage chemistry is genuine. It made a case that he should do far more comedy. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
9. Ezra, Prospect (2018)
Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell’s low-budget sci-fi western premiered at SXSW and remains his great hidden gem. Ezra is a florid, untrustworthy scavenger opposite a young Sophie Thatcher, and the verbose, almost Elizabethan dialogue suits his theater training. Watch it as a dry run for Joel. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally; it often appears on free ad-supported services.
10. Reed Richards, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Matt Shakman’s retro-futurist Marvel film gave Pascal his biggest box office hit as Mister Fantastic, opposite Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. He plays Reed as a genius terrified of fatherhood, which fits his on-screen brand almost too neatly. The role now anchors his Avengers future. Where to watch: Disney+.
11. Clint, Freaky Tales (2025)
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s anthology is a love letter to 1987 Oakland, and Pascal plays a weary enforcer looking for a way out. It premiered at Sundance in 2024 and slipped through theaters in April 2025. His segment is the film’s most soulful. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
12. Marcus Acacius, Gladiator II (2024)
Ridley Scott’s sequel casts him as the Roman general who conquers Paul Mescal’s Lucius and then doubts the empire he serves. Pascal brings real gravity, though Denzel Washington’s scene-stealing villain leaves him less room than he deserves. Solid, underwritten. Where to watch: Paramount+.
13. Francisco “Catfish” Morales, Triple Frontier (2019)
J.C. Chandor’s heist thriller teamed him with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund. Pascal’s pilot is the group’s conscience and gets some of the film’s best quiet beats. The movie sags, but he doesn’t. Where to watch: Netflix.
14. Maxwell Lord, Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Patty Jenkins’ sequel is a mess, and Pascal knows exactly what kind of mess it is. His wish-granting con man is a sweaty, unhinged, gloriously big performance that’s the most watchable thing in the film. Fittingly, he’d played a role in NBC’s unaired 2011 Wonder Woman pilot too. Where to watch: HBO Max.
15. Agent Whiskey, Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Matthew Vaughn needed a lasso-swinging Statesman agent, and Pascal delivered a cartoon cowboy with a laser whip. It’s pure fun and pure surface. This was the role that told Hollywood he could do action. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally; it rotates through Disney’s streaming services.
16. Dave York, The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Opposite Denzel Washington in Antoine Fuqua’s sequel, he plays Robert McCall’s old colleague with a secret. The twist is telegraphed, but Pascal makes York’s menace feel earned. Two Denzel movies six years apart is a decent party fact. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
17. Pietro Alvarez, If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
A small but sharp part in Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s Harlem novel. Pascal appears in the Puerto Rico sequence opposite Regina King, and the scene is heavy with withheld information. Brief, but it’s Barry Jenkins. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
18. Juan Badillo, Graceland (2013-2015)
USA Network’s undercover-agent drama gave him a recurring role as an FBI agent before Thrones hit. It’s a time capsule of his pre-fame screen presence, already magnetic. Few people watched it then; fewer will now. Where to watch: Check digital storefronts; availability varies.
19. Nick Savarese, The Good Wife (2012)
His season 4 arc as Kalinda’s dangerous husband was one of the show’s least loved storylines. Pascal is fine; the writing isn’t. Still worth noting as a key pre-breakout job. Where to watch: Paramount+.
20. Marcus Moreno, We Can Be Heroes (2020)
Robert Rodriguez’s family superhero movie, a loose sequel to Sharkboy and Lavagirl, uses Pascal as the heroic dad. He’s clearly having a good time, and kids will too. Adults can skip it. Where to watch: Netflix.
21. Tovar, The Great Wall (2016)
Zhang Yimou’s monster epic casts him as Matt Damon’s wisecracking mercenary sidekick. He gets the best one-liners and nothing else. A paycheck role that did nothing for anyone. Where to watch: Rent or buy digitally.
22. Dropkick (voice), Bumblebee (2018)
Travis Knight’s Transformers prequel is the best film in that franchise, but Pascal’s Decepticon is a voice in a robot. Fun to spot, no more. Where to watch: Paramount+.
23. Eddie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999)
In season 4’s “The Freshman,” credited as Pedro Balmaceda, he plays a UC Sunnydale student who doesn’t last long. It’s here for history, not quality. Every career starts somewhere. Where to watch: Hulu.
Pedro Pascal Movie Credits by Box Office
Pascal’s theatrical hits mostly came from supporting roles until Marvel. Figures below are approximate worldwide grosses from public box office tracking.
| Film | Year | Role | Approx. Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fantastic Four: First Steps | 2025 | Reed Richards | $520 million |
| Bumblebee | 2018 | Dropkick (voice) | $468 million |
| Gladiator II | 2024 | Marcus Acacius | $460 million |
| Kingsman: The Golden Circle | 2017 | Agent Whiskey | $410 million |
| The Great Wall | 2016 | Tovar | $335 million |
| The Equalizer 2 | 2018 | Dave York | $190 million |
| Wonder Woman 1984 | 2020 | Maxwell Lord | $166 million (released during the pandemic, same day on HBO Max) |
What stands out: his strongest performances (Prospect, Strange Way of Life, Materialists) are nowhere near this table. His prestige reputation was built on TV, and his films are only now catching up.
Latest News and Upcoming Releases
The next two years are almost entirely franchise work. The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau, brings Din Djarin to theaters, and trailers have started rolling out. Marvel then folds his Reed Richards into the two Avengers films from Joe and Anthony Russo. Marvel’s 2026 calendar also includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which co-stars Sadie Sink, so Pascal will be sharing a crowded MCU year.
| Project | Role | Release Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mandalorian and Grogu | Din Djarin | May 22, 2026 | Theatrical, Lucasfilm |
| Avengers: Doomsday | Reed Richards | December 18, 2026 | Theatrical, Marvel Studios |
| Avengers: Secret Wars | Reed Richards | December 17, 2027 | Theatrical, Marvel Studios |
| Behemoth! | Lead | TBA | Tony Gilroy project, per trade reports |
What it means: by the end of 2027, Pascal will have headlined or co-led tentpoles for both Star Wars and Marvel inside 18 months. The more interesting question is whether he keeps squeezing in the Almodóvar and Celine Song projects between them. His 2025 slate suggests he will, and that is the version of his career we’re rooting for.
FAQ
What is Pedro Pascal’s best role?
We rank Joel Miller in The Last of Us first. It’s his most demanding and fully realized performance, and it earned him Emmy nominations for lead actor in a drama in both 2023 and 2025.
Where can I stream The Last of Us and The Mandalorian?
The Last of Us streams on HBO Max, along with Game of Thrones. The Mandalorian and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are on Disney+. Narcos and Triple Frontier are on Netflix.
Is Pedro Pascal in Avengers: Doomsday?
Yes. Marvel confirmed him as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, reprising Reed Richards. The film is dated for December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following on December 17, 2027.
When does The Mandalorian and Grogu come out?
It opens in theaters on May 22, 2026. Jon Favreau directs, and it’s the first Star Wars feature since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
Has Pedro Pascal won an Emmy?
Not yet. He has been nominated for lead actor in a drama for The Last of Us in 2023 and 2025. In 2023 he was also nominated for guest actor in a comedy series for hosting Saturday Night Live, and for narrating Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World.
What was Pedro Pascal’s breakout role?
Oberyn Martell in season 4 of Game of Thrones (2014). After nearly two decades of New York theater and guest spots, that single season led directly to Narcos, Kingsman and eventually The Mandalorian.
