Summary
- Director confirmed that John Malkovich's Red Ghost will not appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
- Malkovich's part was cut for storyline efficiency, despite being a fan-favorite.
- Fans are disappointed as Malkovich was a prestigious addition to the cast.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is about to land in theaters, and Marvel fans are anxious to see this next chapter in the MCU. The movie boasts an impressive cast that has been made central to its marketing. However, a recent revelation from the movie's director confirms something that fans had been speculating about for weeks now.
Fans were excited not just to see the main team in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but also all of the supporting characters and classic villains they had faced over the years. Of course, Galactus and the Silver Surfer (this time the female version) are set to make appearances, but there is also H.E.R.B.I.E and Franklin Richards to look forward to. However, one character that had been touted early on has officially been confirmed to be cut from the film.
Marvel Is Already Planning A Fantastic Four Spinoff, And I Think That’s A Risk
Marvel is reportedly planning a spinoff for Fantastic Four: The First Steps, but there is a significant risk with that decision.
In a recent interview with Variety, director Matt Shakman confirmed that John Malkovich's Ivan Kragoff, the Red Ghost, would no longer appear in the movie. It's an unfortunate reveal, as seeing Malkovich in a supervillain role would have been pitch-perfect. Shakman said it was "was heartbreaking not to include him in the final version of the movie," and added that Malkovich is "one of [his] very favorite humans and one of [his] biggest inspirations." If Shakman felt that he needed to cut Malkovich's part in order to make the story work more efficiently, then it very likely may have been the right decision. Malkovich's appearance will now only be remembered as a very brief glimpse of the Red Ghost in the first teaser for the movie.
Malkovich, for his part, wasn't opposed to doing superhero movies under the right conditions, saying in a February interview with GQ, "These films are quite grueling to make…. If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me." Eagle-eyed fans noticed recently that Malkovich's name had been removed from marketing and press materials for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Speculation quickly began to mount that the actor had either had his part greatly reduced or cut altogether. It seems that they were right about the latter. Even without Malkovich on board, the film still boasts a hefty supporting cast that includes Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner, and Ralph Ineson.
In the comics, the Red Ghost is one of the Fantastic Four's most famous villains. His hook is having a team of superpowered apes that he takes into battle against Marvel's first family. According to Shakman, the plan was to include Malkovich in a sequence early in the film that would have shown the Fantastic Four doing battle with multiple villains throughout the years. Considering First Steps will show the team as already-established heroes in their world, it makes sense to have shown some of their past adventures. However, there's every chance that a sequence like this would have felt extraneous and unnecessary. It's also odd that an actor with as much prestige as Malkovich would have been relegated to what might have been a lengthy montage. This might also make fans wonder whether they will ever see Malkovich in another superhero project, or if he just won't bother after this experience.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25th.
- Release Date
- July 25, 2025
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
- Director
- Matt Shakman
Cast
-
Pedro PascalReed Richards / Mister Fantastic -
Vanessa KirbySue Storm / Invisible Woman
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Jeff Kaplan, Josh Friedman, Ian Springer, Eric Pearson, Kat Wood, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
- Producers
- Kevin Feige
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
Source: Variety