Fantastic Four: First Steps director reveals why Marvel villain’s role was cut from final film

Currently, there are numerous well-known stars who have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It seems simpler to recognize which prominent actors haven’t been part of it yet. The latest release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, introduces additional actors to the MCU, including Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby.

However, it’s worth noting that despite earlier announcements, John Malkovich will not participate in the project.

Or, more colloquially: Contrary to previous reports, John Malkovich won’t be joining us after all.

Previously mentioned, it had been announced that John Malkovich would embody the character of comic book antagonist Ivan Kragoff, also known as Red Ghost, in the upcoming movie. Notably, a fleeting glimpse of him was seen in the initial teaser trailer for this film way back in February.

However, director Matt Shakman has clarified that the scenes John Malkovich filmed did not make it to the final version of the movie. He told Variety: “Many elements ultimately got trimmed during the editing process.

He mentioned: “While crafting a ’60s futuristic world filled with villains, we needed to establish our four primary characters as a team and individually, introduce the concept of a child character. Managing all these elements, along with deciding what elements to omit for the movie’s final cut, was quite challenging.

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Additionally, Shakman shared that it was truly disappointing to exclude Malkovich. He referred to him as “one of my most cherished people” and “one of my greatest sources of inspiration.

He concluded: “[Malkovich] was brilliant in it, and gave it his all.”

Regardless that Malkovich isn’t present, the movie will still boast a wealth of legendary villains. Specifically, Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner take on roles as notorious adversaries, Galactus and Silver Surfer, respectively.

This duo could significantly endanger Marvel’s original team, comprising Mr. Fantastic (Pascal), Invisible Woman (Kirby), The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). Moreover, the cast features Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Gatiss, and Natasha Lyonne as well.

According to quotes attributed to Shakman, the movie is situated in a retro-futuristic depiction of the 1960s, drawing inspiration from the aesthetic of early Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comic books. Interestingly, it has been announced this week that this Marvel production will be among their shorter films, running for approximately 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 29 seconds.

The finer points of the storyline remain hidden for now, yet the trailer (available below) offers a clue about the mood we might encounter in the movie.

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2025-07-17 18:35