Before he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Pedro Pascal came surprisingly close to landing a career-defining lead role.
In 2013, Pascal starred in the pilot for “The Sixth Gun,” a supernatural Western based on the popular comic book of the same name. The project never made it past the pilot stage.
Now the long-lost pilot is available online, giving fans a chance to see Pascal in one of his last roles before becoming a superstar.
Pedro Pascal’s Forgotten Starring Role
When he joined “The Sixth Gun,” Pascal was already building an impressive resume. He had appeared on shows like “Homeland,” “CSI,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He had also enjoyed a recurring role on “The Good Wife” over three seasons of the show.
Yet he had not yet achieved the superstar status that he enjoys today. At that time, “The Sixth Gun” would have represented a major opportunity for Pedro Pascal, according to /Film. It would have been one of the biggest television roles of his career to that point.
Long before audiences knew him as Din Djarin in “The Mandalorian” or Joel Miller in “The Last of Us,” Pascal was set to play a gunslinging detective in a supernatural Western.
Unfortunately, viewers only ever got to see Pedro Pascal’s character in a single pilot episode. And until recently, footage of the pilot was difficult to track down.
A Dark Western Built Around Six Cursed Guns
“The Sixth Gun” was based on the comic book series created by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt and published by Oni Press.
Writer Cullen Bunn is best known for his work on the Marvel titles “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe,” “Magneto” and “Uncanny X-Men,” according to Booktopia. Artist and writer Brian Hurtt has built his career around creator-owned comics, including “The Damned” and the webcomic stories “Whispers of Dragons” and “Road to Embers” for Table Titans.
Set during the 1880s, the story revolves around six pistols with dark supernatural powers. Each gun grants a unique ability to its owner.
The central heroes, Becky Montcrief and Drake Sinclair, are tasked with locating the weapons and keeping them out of dangerous hands. Their mission becomes increasingly difficult as several villains pursue the guns for their own purposes.
According to /Film, NBC ordered a pilot for “The Sixth Gun” in 2013. Ryan Condal wrote and executive produced the project, years before he became widely known for “House of the Dragon.” Laura Ramset joined the cast first, followed by W. Earl Brown, Graham McTavish, Aldis Hodge and Pedro Pascal.
With a respected comic book source and a strong ensemble cast, the series appeared to have real potential.
The Pilot
Pedro Pascal played Agent Ortega, a corrupt Pinkerton detective. Aldis Hodge portrayed his equally unscrupulous partner, Agent Mercer.
The pair is hired by the wealthy Missy Hume, played by Elena Satine, to recover the mysterious sixth gun. The pilot explains that Missy’s late husband, General Oliander Hume, originally summoned the six weapons during the Civil War. After his defeat, the guns were “scattered to the far corners of the American West.”
The sixth gun eventually ends up with Montcrief and his daughter Becky. When Ortega and Mercer arrive at their farm, a violent confrontation follows. Montcrief is fatally wounded but warns Becky about the weapon’s dangerous power before urging her to destroy it.
Becky finds help from gunslingers as she is pursued by the corrupt Pinkerton detective, including Pedro Pascal’s character.
“The Sixth Gun” Ended Before It Really Began
Sadly, viewers never got to see where the story would go next. NBC declined to pick up “The Sixth Gun” in May 2013. The network’s decision effectively ended the project before the wider story could unfold. For fans of the comics, NBC’s decision meant they never got to find out how closely the live-action version would follow the comic books’ storylines.
The timing of the decision was especially remarkable for Pedro Pascal. Just one year after NBC abandoned “The Sixth Gun,” the actor made his debut as Oberyn Martell on “Game of Thrones.” The role transformed his career and launched him toward international stardom.
How To Watch Pedro Pascal in the Pilot of “The Sixth Gun”
For years, the rejected pilot was difficult for fans to find.
Now it has surfaced online, and viewers can finally see the forgotten project that almost became Pedro Pascal’s first major television hit.
Watch the pilot of “The Sixth Gun” here.
