Oscar Isaac Ditched Two Blockbusters to Play Frankenstein — Pedro Pascal and Taron Egerton Snagged the Roles

Oscar Isaac had one of those good problems: too much good work at the same time. He dove so deep into Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein that he had to walk away from two other big swings. Studios did not wait around. They already have new leads lined up.

Who stepped in after Isaac left

• Tony Gilroy's Behemoth! — yes, the exclamation point is part of the title. And if you saw it floating around as Bohemoth!, that was a typo; the project is Behemoth!. Reportedly, Pedro Pascal is taking over the lead here. Of course he is — the man is in everything at the moment.
• Kockroach — the feature adaptation of William Lashner's novel. Per Deadline, Taron Egerton is replacing Isaac and will star alongside Channing Tatum and Zazie Beetz in the upcoming crime drama.

Why Isaac chose Frankenstein

Isaac, who most folks know from Star Wars and Moon Knight, clearly connected with Victor Frankenstein. He told GQ that he and del Toro bonded over their shared Latin background and how, in their experience, the father's presence looms differently in Latin families. He talked about channeling the culture's patriarchal weight into Victor's energy. Isaac was born in Guatemala City to Guatemalan-Cuban parents, and he said that perspective helped shape the film into a story about outsiders. That tracks with del Toro's approach too: this is Mary Shelley's Gothic classic reframed with distinct Latin influences — Catholic imagery, and even some staging choices you might recognize from telenovelas.

The set experience, straight from Isaac

"It was the most f***ing fun I have ever had in my life. Running around in the rain, up and down steps, this Christ-like thing on a crucifix and Guillermo in the corner, screaming! It was hard to fathom that it was actually happening. It is such dark material, but was approached with so much joy. Like 14-year-olds had keys to the kingdom - it had that kind of energy to it."

So... did the bet pay off?

Looks like it. Frankenstein quietly hit theaters for a limited run last month and pulled strong notices: critics praised del Toro's take on the modern Prometheus, and fans raved about the cast (Jacob Elordi is among them). As of right now, it is sitting at 86% with critics and 95% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Hard to argue Isaac made the wrong call.

And you are not going to wait long to catch it at home. Frankenstein streams on Netflix in the U.S. on November 7, 2025. Given how much fun Isaac had and how naturally he and del Toro seem to click, do not be shocked if this is just the first of several collaborations between them.