Back in 2025, the day had finally arrived – Fantastic Four: First Steps was out in the world, and the MCU had its first family. As part of the whirlwind promotional tour, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach found themselves in a situation none of us could have predicted: live on streamer Loserfruit's channel, about to get a crash course in Marvel Rivals. Talk about a meta moment, right? Here we were, the actors who just brought these iconic characters to life on the big screen, now staring at their digital counterparts in a hero shooter. The energy was electric, a mix of genuine curiosity and that pre-release adrenaline buzz.
The Malice Reveal: A Costume Drama
The stream kicked off with Loserfruit introducing them to their in-game avatars. We saw Mr. Fantastic stretch, The Thing clobber, and the Human Torch blaze across the screen. It was all pretty standard, fun fanfare. Then came Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. After showing her classic look, Loserfruit, with a mischievous grin, said, "And the final one, which I'm just leaving it to last because she has one of the most popular cosmetics in-game – let's show you what it is." Cue the reveal of the Malice costume. Oh, boy. Let's just say it's... minimalist. Black straps, strategic coverage – you get the picture.
The camera cut to Pedro Pascal, and his reaction was pure gold. His eyes went wide, a mixture of surprise and 'what have we gotten ourselves into?' He probably wasn't expecting his on-screen wife to be quite so... ventilated. Vanessa Kirby, on the other hand, absolutely lost it in the best way. "This is my favourite bit of the character as well!" she exclaimed, as Loserfruit spun the model around. The banter was instant:
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Kirby (to Pascal, laughing): "Watch out, like I said, for the sequel."
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Pascal (deadpan, to an imaginary costume designer): "Costume designer, take note."
It was that perfect, unscripted moment that reminds you these are just people having a laugh, not just actors on a press junket.
Controller Chaos: Gaming Skills Revealed
With the fashion show over, it was time for the real challenge: actually playing the game. The skill gap was... astronomical, and honestly, a little heartbreaking in the funniest way possible.
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Joseph Quinn looked like a man who had seen the secrets of the universe and found them confusing. He admitted his gaming history was basically "a bit of FIFA as a kid" and finally whispered, "What game is this, again?" Bless him.
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Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss-Bachrach seemed the most at-home with a controller, but translating that to Marvel Rivals was another story.
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Pedro Pascal had the focus of a Tibetan monk, but the coordination of a newborn giraffe.
They jumped into a competitive match, and let's break down their 'performance':
| Actor | Character Played | Gaming Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Vanessa Kirby | Invisible Woman (Malice skin, obviously) | Knew the controls, but couldn't secure a single takedown. |
| Joseph Quinn | Human Torch | Spent most of the match figuring out which button made him fly. |
| Ebon Moss-Bachrach | The Thing | Came agonizingly close to a kill. We're talking one punch away! |
| Pedro Pascal | Mr. Fantastic | Performed the Herculean feat of... getting an assist. Team player! |
That's right. In a match full of superheroes, the pinnacle of their combined achievement was one assist from Pascal. Kirby and Moss-Bachrach buzzed with potential but couldn't land the final blow. Quinn was in his own world, bless his heart. Pascal, ever the leader, just shrugged with a smile that said, "Hey, I contributed!" And you know what? He did. That's why he's the leader of the team, even in virtual Latveria.
The Aftermath & Why It Mattered
Looking back from 2026, that stream was more than just a quirky promotional bit. It was a tiny, perfect capsule of that movie's release era. It wasn't a polished, PR-managed interview; it was messy, genuine, and full of personality. You saw:
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The Cast Dynamic: The easy teasing between Pascal and Kirby felt like real family ribbing.
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Humility: Mega-stars being utterly terrible at a video game and laughing about it is always endearing.
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A Bridge Between Worlds: It connected the cinematic spectacle of the MCU to the hands-on, playful world of gaming in a way trailers never could.
In the end, nobody won the match. Their team got thoroughly dominated. But they won over a ton of fans that day. It showed that behind the CGI and the superhero suits, the Fantastic Four were being played by a bunch of cool people who could laugh at themselves... and appreciate a daring alternate costume. Sometimes, the best promotion isn't about showing how awesome you are, but about sharing a genuine, funny moment. And maybe, just maybe, giving the costume department some very interesting ideas for Fantastic Four: Next Steps. Just saying!
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